Faith Wayne
by KColl2003
Summary: What if the Dark Slayer's father was Gotham's Dark Knight
1. Chapter 1

Title: Faith Wayne

Rating: R

Story: Action\Adventure

Feedback: In lieu of a Faithbot yeah.

E-Mail:

Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or Buffy. Nor do I intend to make profit from them.

**FIC: Faith ****Wayne**** (1/?)**

Metropolis, USA

"Thank you all for coming," he began with a look around the dimly lit boardroom. His four guests, three men and one woman, were amongst the most powerful in the super-powered community with one exception, and the exception was one of history's most influential manipulators. "As you can see from the notes in your hands, the notes that will be shredded before we leave here, our plan continues apace. Our lower-level operatives are busy recruiting the mid-level operatives to our ranks."

"And no-body has any idea who is doing the recruiting?"

This question came from a bearded, powerfully-built alien of the same race as his greatest enemy, but he answered civilly enough. "Yes, I've used three levels of cut-outs, with the top level being an untraceable email account," he smiled thinly. "The account belongs to an internet service provider owned by Queen Industries, and is one only I have access to."

"How long will it be before we move?" growled their group's oldest and least-powered member.

"A few weeks yet," he replied. "An operation of this scale takes time to plan and get everyone into position, but once we're ready, we'll only have a window of opportunity for a few days in which to strike."

"And the list of heroes that are to be attacked in our pre-emptive strike?" grunted the group's solitary alien. "I have no problems with those selected for attack, they are amongst the super-hero community's leading lights. With them removed, it will be so much easier to deal with the remains, but I am confused as to who we are sending against them."

"A simple enough idea, my dear General," he replied. "Familiarity breeds contempt, so let's not allow our heroes to be too familiar with their attackers, being attacked by alien adversaries will make them more vulnerable than normal."

"Won't that go both ways?" queried the group's only female. "Won't our recruits also be off-balance as well?"

"No, not at all." He shook his head. "My research into the meta-human community has been extensive, our recruits will have access to the files detailing their strengths and weaknesses, video of the heroes in action. Traps will be baited to draw in each hero and then we'll simultaneously strike both at them and our other targets. They won't be able to call on assistance and ultimately," he smiled viciously, "ultimately they won't be able to help one another."

* * *

The group's sole woman halted by the kerb, her heart pounding in unaccustomed fear. Normally she was the one to cause terror and not to feel it, but something about their group's titular leader unnerved her. For most people he'd always been intimidating, his intellect, force of personality, and ruthlessness combining to cow people the moment they met him. Even so, she was used to battling the world's super-powered defenders, but their leader was different somehow now, her soul quivered in terror in his presence, an effect he'd never had on her before, the magics that filled her seeming somehow inconsequential next to the power she sensed he now possessed.

Yes, he'd somehow been altered, by who or what, she had no idea, but whatever it was chilled her to her very core. Each of her fellow plotters had left via by a different route, but she had the skills to easily track them down and share her concerns.

Except she didn't have the nerve. She who had unblinklingly faced the princess of the Amazons couldn't summons the courage to do anything against the terror that she sensed had possessed their group's already formidable ruler.

She shivered as her limousine pulled alongside her, the peak-capped chauffer leaping out to open her door. All she could do was obey their leader and hope for the best.

* * *

Las Vegas, Nevada.

Dr. Fate shook his head, the castings he'd just made confirming his darkest feelings, yet not giving him any more information about what was causing the dread he felt.

"You feel the same?"

He looked towards his guest, the exotically beautiful Madame Xanadu. "Yes," he finally replied, a heaviness resting on his chest. "I don't know what it is, I can't track it down, something obscures what it is, but I can feel its power, the air vibrates with it. It could equal Neron, Eclipso, or the Spectre. Exceed them even!"

"Here's another question," his guest's green eyes grew even more troubled, "this event is the sort that will shake the world, maybe even the universe. As you say, whatever is coming has fearsome power."

"I'd agree," Dr. Fate nodded even as he wondered where his fellow magician was going with her line of conversation.

"Then why hasn't the Phantom Stranger warned anyone about it?" Madame Xanadu asked the unanswerable. "Where is he?"

* * *

Gotham City, USA

The emissary shuffled from foot to foot under the madman's manic gaze, the warehouse's grim drabness weighing down on him, but not as much as the gory reputation of the man stood opposite him. The five thugs loitering in the background were rendered unimportant next to their leader's blood-splattered record. "I'm to be involved in a grand conspiracy?"

"That's the general idea sir," he nodded jerkily, forcing his eyes to meet his host's. He couldn't let him know he was scared. A hyena attacked when it smelt fear.

"Oh such excitement!" he blinked when the madman began dancing erratically, then suddenly halted, his wildly twitching eyes suddenly focussing. "And who's leading our august group .?docid=17881104 what are their plans?"

"I don't know," he licked his lips. It was true he didn't know, only that someone had bought out his gambling debts six weeks ago and he, and he guessed some more low-level hoods like him were hired to run various errands. But of all the errands he'd run, this was the most terrifying. If he didn't instinctively fear his unknown boss so much, he wouldn't be here at all. "I….I've n….never have any face to face contact with him, or her," he added as an after-thought. "But they've got lots of resources and money. I could guess-."

"If guesses were horses, I'd have your legs and arms tied to some!" The Joker let out a shrill laugh before suddenly stilling, eyes boring into him. "Who's your boss?"

"I said I didn't know," he replied.

"Lies! Lies! And more lies!" The Joker began pacing up and down, dust scuffling up. "Grab him!" He gasped as the Joker's hoods leapt forward and grabbed his arms and legs, holding him still despite his best efforts. "Let's see what lies beneath your skin!" He moaned when the Joker pulled out a carving knife and started juggling it from hand to hand. Then the Joker rammed it deep into his gut and twisted.

* * *

Faith cricked her neck and smirked at her boy-friend as she stalked into the academy's common room, complete with its blaring stereo. "Ready for 'nother patrol lover?"

The one-eyed man sat slouched on the common room's sofa grinned lazily back at her. "Ready as I'll ever be."

"Faaaaaaith, why can't we come?" wheedled one of the junior Slayers, a broad-shouldered former national-level high school gymnast.

"Not this time kiddo," Faith winked at the blonde. "It's only a walk through the docks, no biggie."

"Besides," her boyfriend commented. "You girls should be revising for that test tomorrow."

The trio of Slayers sat on the room's gaudily coloured bean bags exchanged triumphant looks before starting to chant. "Faith and Xander! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"Kids," Faith winked at Xander, "we're gonna be doin' a hell of a lot more than just kissing."

"My girl-friend," Xander rose, "once again contributing to the delinquency of minors."

"Damn straight," Faith laughed. Life was good ever since the fall of Sunnydale, at least for her. Her and Wood had fallen apart pretty much by the time they reached LA, her idolisation of Angel being too much for him to take. Dumbass had given her an ultimatum, him or Angel. A one-night stand versus the demon who'd saved her?

Not even a choice.

Xan on the other hand, he and Angel would never be friends, hell they sniped at one another like a couple of kids, but he respected Angel's role in her life. As for why they were dating now, it had all started when looking for something to occupy her once her fledgling relationship had died. She'd decided to throw Andrew out of the room he was sharing with Xander, and try and pay the man back for all the shit she'd done to him by being there for him while he grieved for Anya.

That sure as hell hadn't been a cake-walk. Xander had been a complete mess, she'd had to drag him out of more than one bar that first month, some-times even over her shoulder. Then she'd started to connect, demanding that he sort himself out and reminding him of the new Slayers that needed experienced people to look after them. After another month he'd started to come out of his shell, and she'd nagged him into requesting a Council house of their own.

In the end Giles had given them one of America's two Council houses, the Gotham City house on the east coast, the other Council house on the Cleveland Hellmouth, and Angel's group of him, Spike, Illyria, Kate Lockley, Oliver Pike, and Groo running the west coast.

America had thirty Slayers, most of them were at Cleveland, but a dozen were here, together with any Slayers with bad reps, Xan and her having a rep for turning hardcases around. The Jesse McNally Memorial Academy served as a cover story for the group, an exclusive school\charity offering scholarships to young girls, the student numbers swelled by the sons and daughters of Watchers and support staff who worked at the Academy.

"You seem to be deep in thought."

Faith's full lips pulled up into a dimpled smile as she saucily winked at her man. "Nah," she replied, "you know me better than that."

"True." Xander looked at the giggling trio of Slayers. "You all have tests tomorrow, I expect you to study. Get to your rooms."

"Damn," Faith snorted as the girls hurried out, "who's a regular little Giles now?"

Xander pouted. "There's no need to be rude." Her boy-friend looped his arm around her shoulders. "So the docks."

"Yeah," Faith's forehead creased. Thanks to its mysterious night-time protector, Gotham City was kinda slow for vampires and the like, but that was five by five, all the way down from Florida and up to Maine was her jurisdiction, so she got plenty of action. However, one of their contacts had warned them of a vampire gang starting to smuggle Orphesus, her skin crawled at the memory of the time she'd been drugged with it, into Gotham. Their first shipment was dropping off tonight, but somehow Faith thought there wouldn't be another. "Let's get this done."

* * *

The Batcave

"Patrolling alone sir?" Alfred politely asked as he passed the dark grey cowl to his master.

The master shot him a wry and in his opinion all too-rare smile. "Tim wanted to come, but he has an exam tomorrow, I insisted he study."

"You're a harsh taskmaster, Master Wayne," Alfred reproved as he fixed his master's cape.

"Sometimes my conscience bothers me," Bruce growled before sobering. "I'll be on the docks tonight, one of my sources phoned in a tip about an exotic drug being smuggled onto Gotham's docks tonight."

"Be careful sir," he warned.

"I wouldn't be Batman if I was careful."


	2. Chapter 2

**FIC: Faith ****Wayne**** (2/?)**

Faith licked her lips as she and Xander crept through the port, clinging to the walls of the dock's crates and containers, their shadows cloaking them. According to their information there wouldn't be more than a handful of vampires, five or six at the most. Like she'd said to the kids, a milk-run.

'Cept whenever anyone just mentioned Orpheus her blood iced.

Faith reached out a hand and dropped it gently on Xander's shoulder. Xander glanced towards her, but she was already holding up her fingers, indicating there were exactly half a dozen vamps stood on the far side. Xander nodded as he drew his double-bladed axe. Faith pointed to her right, at the two vamps away from the others, and drew one of her favourite stakes, the grip lovingly carved for her by Xander.

Then she sprang into action.

* * *

The Batmobile purred to a halt, Batman leaping out of his vehicle and starting towards the dock where the drugs were supposed to be unloading. He glided through the shadows, passing within inches of various oblivious dock workers and the like. His eyes narrowed as the sound of fighting reached his ears, was there a double-cross going on, or had the police beaten him to his prey? Whatever the reason, he picked up his pace and leapt up onto a container to get a better vantage point, wanting to aid the police if they needed it or pick up the scraps from the double-cross.

What he found was quite different.

* * *

The first vampire was dead before they realised she was there, her stake driving through its back. The second demon swung a left at her, but she wasn't there when the blow was supposed to connect, snaking underneath the punch to thrust her stake at the demon's chest.

Faith scowled as the vampire wriggled away from her attack and caught her with an elbow to the side of her head. Her head snapped to the side as she parried a hook at her face on her shoulder before butting the taller demon square in the mouth. Faith leapt up into the air, her knee pulling up into her torso and shooting out in a jumping side thrust kick that slammed into the vampire's stomach, knocking her rival back two steps.

Faith shot out her other foot to the left, catching another on-rushing vampire square in the face, knocking him on his ass, then glided into a back-flip that ended with her landing in a crouch. The fourth vampire charged in, swinging lefts and rights that Faith bobbed and weaved away from before slamming a stake into the advancing blood-sucker's chest.

Sensing one of the downed vampires coming up behind her, Faith rear heel-kicked him in the nuts before spinning around and driving her stake down at the vampire's chest. The vampire's arm came up, blocking her attack, the vampire screaming as her stake impaled his forearm. Even as the blood-sucker clawed frenziedly at his injured arm, Faith kicked him in the gut, doubling him up again, drew her back-up stake and rammed it home.

Then things got wicked strange.

* * *

Xander burst out of the shadows a half-second behind his super-powered girl-friend. The two vampires spun to face him, he feinted with his axe, the one to the right reacting by ducking even as the vampire to the left leapt forward into the attack.

And ran his throat across the fine edge of his axe as he deftly reversed his swing.

Even as the left vampire burst into dust, the right one leapt at him, attempting to tackle him around his waist. Xander's knee shot up, catching the demon against his face, snapping his head to the side, but he still crashed shoulder-first into Xander's belly.

Fortunately though, although the impact was enough to knock him back a step, it wasn't enough to bundle him from his feet. The vampire dropped into a crouch as he stepped back before leaping back at him. Xander took advantage of the demon's step back to ready himself, then sidestepped, his axe sliding to the side to take the vampire's head.

* * *

Batman readied himself to leap off the crate's roof to aid the foolish kids then stopped, eyes narrowed as he peered down at the battle. To his practiced eye, the girl moved with a primal grace that indicated she had to be a meta-human of some kind. Her companion on the other hand wasn't a meta-human to judge from his fighting, but could be best described as competent.

As for their adversaries…. Thanks to his alliances with Dr. Fate, Jason Blood, and others he was well aware of the supernatural, but vampires?

Then he saw one of the vampires sneak around the back of the brunette, and thought gave way to action.

Batman powered through his legs and leapt off the crate. His cloak billowed behind him as he fell, his knees crashing into the vampire's lower back, knocking the demon face down to the ground, the pointed edge of his Batarang thrust deep into the vampire's neck and yanked across, slicing its head from its shoulders. Even as the vampire burst into dust he was rolling backwards and up to his feet.

"What the-." The dark-haired beauty paused in a spin around, her dark eyes widening in recognition.

As did his own, but for slightly different reasons. Where did he know the girl from? The brunette was a little under average height, but with curves in all the right places, her full, rich mane cascading onto her shoulders to frame her heart-shaped face, dark eyes smirking impudently. She wore a black silk blouse with the top two buttons undone, displaying a hint of deep cleavage, her hands covered by black, fingerless weight-lifting gloves, and her painted-on leather pants were tucked into her calf-skin cowboy boots. "Um," he glanced at her babbling companion, surprised to note he had a missing eye to go with his mass of uncombed black hair and pugnaciously square jaw. "Hello Mr. Batman, I'm a big fan-."

"Oh lord," he heard the sound of a palm slapping forehead. "Please god, don't let him embarrass me even more than usual."

Batman felt a glimmer of amusement at the sleekly-muscled brunette's comment despite his normal nature. "You're vampire hunters?"

"Well duh," the girl snarked, Batman instantly recognising her accent as east coast, no Boston, make that she was a transplanted Southie, "what gave it away to the great detective? The dust on the ground?"

Batman raised an eyebrow. Most were intimidated by him, but this woman was matching him stare for stare. And who the hell was she anyway? "Who are you?"

"Tell ya what Bats, you show me yours," the brunette blew him a mocking kiss, "and we'll show you ours."

"Whoever told you you were a diplomat, lied," muttered the one-eyed man. "And if there's any showing to be done, count me out."

For once Batman didn't know what to say. Instead he nodded. "And what where they here for?"

"They were bringing in a drug called Orpheus," the one-eyed man replied. "It's a mystical drug, used by vampires who feed on humans who inject it, giving them both a high like heroin."

"Use too much," the brunette's face briefly darkened, "and it can kill you, and not in a good way, you relive all your worst moments before dying."

Batman took that all in with a nod. It was a drug he hadn't heard of, but then he had only a passing familiarity with the supernatural. "If you operate in my town, I'll be watching you."

"Ohhh," the woman smirked, "a fan. You wouldn't be the first, probably won't be the last."

Realising there was no answer to that, he melted back in the shadows and started back to his car, still wrestling with just where he'd seen the brunette before. The ebony-eyed stunner wasn't the sort of woman a man easily forgot.

He missed a step in his usually sure stride as it suddenly hit him, her accent the last piece of the puzzle clicking into place. Of course, it wasn't her he was recognising, it was someone he remembered who looked very much like her.

Her mother.

Heart pounding, he picked up his pace, almost running to his Batmobile. It looked like he wouldn't get much sleep tonight.

* * *

"That was the Batman!"

Faith smirked at Xander's awed gasp. Only time she heard that sound outta of him was when she modelled some new lingerie for him. Faith's brow furrowed, she only hoped that wasn't caused by the same emotion. "I got eyes, Xan. One more than you to be exact."

"Yeah, but the Bat!" Xander gasped again. "I've always wanted to meet him."

"Yeah," Faith's grin widened, her dimples deepening. "And what did you say when you did? 'Hello Mr. Batman, I'm a big fan.'" Faith winked at her reddening man. "It's those smooth moves that get my panties off every time."

"Ha, ha," Xander's flush deepened.

"Ahhh," Faith cooed as she reached up and ruffled her boy-friend's hair. "I still love ya, sweetcakes. Now patrol's over, let's burn this stuff."

"Burn it?" Xander queried. "Wouldn't it cause problems with fumes?"

"Nah," Faith shook her head as she began stacking the Orpheus blocks. "It don't work like that, it has to get directly into the blood to effect humans."

"Okay, then build the bonfire high."

"Maybe Batman will see the fire come back and investigate, then you can ask for his autograph," Faith needled.

"Keep laughing Faith, keep laughing."

* * *

Alfred looked up at his master's car purred into the Batcave. "You're home early, sir."

Bruce pulled off his cowl and strode towards the computer console, his gait as purposeful as ever, but with a touch of anxiety that Alfred wasn't used to seeing

"I ran into a complication tonight," his boss grunted.

"A complication sir?" Alfred queried in an attempt to get clarification.

"The drugs I'd heard about weren't of the usual sort," his boss explained as he turned the computer on, the screen flickering into life as his master tapped his password in. "They were mystical drugs to be used by vampires. However, I wasn't the first to the dock-."

"Beaten to the punch, sir?"

"So it would appear." Batman half-smiled at his gentle teasing. "However, the woman who beat me to it was both super-powered and a stranger."

"Oh," Alfred blinked, a terrible suspicion forming. "And not someone you'd met before?"

"That's a rather more interesting question than you might suspect." Batman cryptically replied before growling into the iron-grey microphone. "Oracle, are you there?"

"And good day to you too, Bruce," the former Bat-girl replied.

"I need you to do a search on an Eliza Lehane," Batman said. "Specifically if she had any children."

"That's a little vague Bruce," Oracle commented. "A rare surname so I can probably find something, but it'd help if you could narrow down the search a little."

"Try Massachusetts first," Batman replied.

"Okay, give me a moment."

"Sir," Batman looked towards him, "if I might have a word?" Bruce nodded mutely. "Might as I inquire to what sort of powers this young woman you encountered has?"

"Strength, reflexes, and speed above normal," Wayne's eyes narrowed. "You seem to know something about this?"

"Perhaps I do," Alfred admitted. "Sir, how old was the girl?"

"Um, early to mid twenties, no younger than twenty-two, no older than twenty-seven," Bruce grimaced, "although I have reason to suspect she was born in '82, which would make her twenty-four or twenty-five."

Alfred sighed. "Ah, then it's unlikely I'm correct."

"Correct about what, Alfred?" Bruce patiently pressed.

"My older brother was quite the adventurer sir, a former OSS agent in the war and an operative in Kenya," Alfred began. "When he retired from the forces, he was approached by an organisation called the Watcher's Council to run one of their operations teams."

"The Watcher's Council?" Bruce raised an eyebrow. "Can't say I've heard of them."

"Watchers are devoted to tracking and combating malevolent supernatural entities, especially vampires. The Council itself is based in England and its primary function is the location and training teen girls with the talents required to fight such beings and win. More specifically, Watchers are assigned to Slayers, girls that are part of a succession of mystically powered individuals who are destined to face said foes." Alfred grimaced. "These girls have enhanced power, speed, reflexes, and healing, as well as an instinctive grasp of weaponry. However these Slayers only live short lives and upon a Slayer's demise, her powers are transferred unto a new girl." Alfred paused. "Each potential Slayer is assigned her own Watcher - a Council employee who is responsible for training the Slayer in combat techniques as well as researching demons, vampires, and magicks. Watchers also maintain diaries chronicling the lives of the Slayers under their charge."

"Grown men hiding behind young girls? That sounds like a barbaric system," Bruce commented.

"I agree, as did my brother, that's why he turned down their offer," Alfred paused. "However, this young lady you describe is a little too old to be a Slayer, as they usually don't live to reach twenty."

"I've got your information, Bruce."

His master's attention sprang back to the screen. "I'm listening Oracle."

"Eliza Lehane was born April 23rd 1962, she had a quite extensive criminal record, nothing major Public Indecency, drug possession, shop-lifting, and prostitution, died of a drug overdose May 1997, her solitary child having been taken into care a year previously."

"Her daughter?" There seemed to be a hitch in his master's normal growl. Alfred also noticed Ms. Gordon hadn't specified a gender. "Show me!"


	3. Chapter 3

**FIC: Faith ****Wayne**** (3/?)**

A photograph of a quite devastatingly-beautiful young woman appeared on the computer screen. "How fortunate," murmured Alfred, "it appears the young woman got her looks off her mother rather than her father."

The look the master shot him was another step towards confirmation. "Tell me what you know Oracle?" Bruce growled into the microphone.

"Faith Lehane, born June 30th 1982. She was adopted by a Professor Diana Dormer in May 1996, just a month short of her fourteenth birthday. She lived with her adoptive parent for two years, but in July 1998, Dormer was butchered by person or persons unknown. Quite a bloody mess according to the autopsy report -."

"Excuse me Miss," Alfred stepped forward and spoke into the mike, "was Professor Dormer English by any chance?"

"Yes, she was." Barbara paused. "How did you know that?"

"It's a theory of Alfred's that's steadily gaining credence," Bruce replied as Alfred stepped back, but not before exchanging a significant look with his employer. "Thank you, Barbara, please continue," Bruce commented.

"Miss Lehane disappeared off the map until April 2000, where she turned herself into the police and pleaded guilty to one count of homicide in the second degree and one count of manslaughter-."

"Master!" Alfred leapt forward when his employer seemed to stumble almost as if kayoed. "Ms. Gordon, perhaps we can continue this -."

"Barbara, go on," Bruce interrupted, his briefly wrought face turning back to stone. "I'm fine."

"Yes Bruce," Barbara sounded confused but obeyed. "Lehane was sentenced to twenty years to life at Stockton. According to her prison records, she was a model prisoner for three years, completing her GED, doing first aid courses, and assisting other girls who were bullied by tougher inmates. But in March 2003 she had escaped from prison after the visit of a Wesley Whyndham-Pryce, the first person to visit her bar her cousin, a Liam Doolan, since her imprisonment." Barbara paused. "You're aware of the Sunnydale incident?"

Bruce nodded. "I'm aware it happened, but nothing more than that."

"Well she was apparently there, for whatever reason." Barbara paused. "This is very interesting, according to what I've been able to find out, Faith was pardoned in July '03 after a personal request from the British Ambassador on behalf of the Home Secretary."

"Bloody hell," Bruce looked towards him. Alfred shook himself. "Sir, despite what I said earlier about this young lady being too old to be the Slayer, it's interesting to note the Council is reputed to have very high connections with the British government."

Bruce stared at him for a second before nodding. "Thank you, Alfred, your input is always appreciated."

"Hey who's the babe?" Alfred looked over his shoulder to see Master Drake peering with typical adolescent interest at the photo on the screen. "Only if there's bodyguard duty to be done, I'm volunteering."

Bruce didn't look over his shoulder as he replied. "If my suspicions are correct, she's my daughter."

Master Drake gulped, Adam's Apple bouncing up and down as he retreated back to the lift. "Oh, forget I spoke. I've still some homework to do. See you later."

"My," Alfred chuckled as Master Drake retreated, "that was entertaining."

Barbara's voice filtered through the speakers. ""May I continue?"

"Please," Bruce growled. "That way I might forget I have a charge to kill."

"Since then she's worked at a private academy giving free care and education for 'children with potential'. Their academy is called the Jesse McNally Memorial Academy, but although I've attempted to hack the system of the charity behind the school, they have a total of eighteen such establishments throughout the world, I can't do it."

"Jesse McNally?" Bruce's thick eyebrows rose. "Can you do a search on that name?"

"Give me a moment," Barbara replied. "While I'm doing it, you might be interested in what I've managed to find out about the school's principal."

"I thought you said you couldn't hack the charity's computers?" Bruce queried.

"I couldn't," Barbara admitted, more than a note of irritation in her voice, "but the Academy itself has a website. He's a very interesting character."

"Please," Bruce nodded, "continue."

"Alexander LaVelle Harris, born 13th March 1981-."

"Did you say the principal?" Alfred interrupted. "Begging your pardon, Miss, but he's a little young."

"The thought had occurred to me, he's also grossly under-qualified, he's got his High School Diploma from Sunnydale High, but that's it, no other academic qualifications on record. In fact, it appears that before becoming the principal he worked as a construction foreman." Barbara paused. "He's an odd case as well, his childhood appeared relatively normal, apart from an unusually high amount of visits to the local hospital that suggested either a chronically clumsy child or physical abuse. It's strange that the Police didn't investigate further-," Barbara paused, "oh wait. I've just got a report here, a Jesse McNally was reported missing by his family in 97, to the Sunnydale Police Department. As far as I can find he never reappeared."

"All paths seem to lead to Sunnydale," Bruce muttered.

"I note the Memorial in the McNally Academy's title," Alfred commented. Bruce raised an eyebrow at his comment. "Perhaps they've resigned themselves to his death or actually know he's dead. Perhaps they were even somehow involved in his death."

"Interesting," Bruce muttered before looking towards the screen. "Barbara, please continue."

"In January 1998, Harris was suspected of breaking into the local army base and stealing a rocket launcher, however no charges were ever drawn up. In May 99, his school blew up," Alfred blinked, "at his graduation ceremony. However here's where it gets really weird, I found a mention of his involvement destroying a top-secret underground base-."

"Not that I'm doubting you Miss. Gordon, but if this is true, why is he walking around free as a bird?" Alfred queried.

"Sounds exactly like you're doubting me," Barbara's voice had a note of amusement to it. "I'm looking at a top-secret military file, related to a group called The Demon Research Initiative-."

"Can't say I've heard of them," commented Batman. "And I know most clandestine intelligence groups."

"The Initiative were established in the 1940s to combat the Third Reich's interest in the occult, and then continued after that to combat the Soviets in the same area. By the nineties they were under the command of a Professor Walsh, a PHD in cybernetics, behaviour modification, psychology, and anatomy. She was in Sunnydale running a joint Pentagon and LexCorp funded project that aimed to splice together a demon-human-cyborg super-soldier. However the one prototype they managed to complete went insane and ran amok through the underground base, slaughtering everyone there until he and several of his companions stopped it through tactics unknown, destroying the base in the process."

"Did these companions include Faith Lehane?" Bruce interrupted, a note of desperate hope in his employer's voice.

"No, there's no mention of her," replied Barbara.

"Miss Gordon, you're telling me you could hack a top-secret military database but not a charity?" Alfred queried.

"Yes," Barbara replied, her voice tight with tension, "I noticed that too. The next major entry relating to Xander Harris is him being admitted to Sunnydale Hospital, just days before the entire town fell into the ground. It was a supposed industrial accident that cost him an eye-."

"Um," Bruce grunted. "He's one-eyed? He might well be the man with Faith tonight."

"I'll send you all the files I have Bruce," Barbara promised.

"Thank you," Bruce cut the connection.

"Sir, if I might enquire?"

"You might," Bruce sighed heavily as he sunk into a chair, pain in his usually impassive dark eyes. "It was early October 1981, I was in Boston, it was after I'd gone to join the FBI, but realised I couldn't accept their inefficient methods of investigation, and so I wondering what to do. I was driving through Boston at night when I saw a young woman being attacked by a trio of thugs," Bruce shook his head. "I stopped them and then she took my breath away."

"Faith's mother?"

Bruce nodded. "Her eyes were chocolate brown rather than black, she had a mole on her left cheek, and she was a little taller than her daughter, less confident too, but she was very similar to her daughter otherwise. We spent a very happy three days at one of Boston's finer hotels and then I left, never giving her another thought."

"And perhaps you left something behind?" Alfred hesitated. "Sir, it is hardly my place to say…."

Bruce smiled wryly. "That's never stopped you before old friend."

"The dates do match, but your paramour hardly seems to be the most," he struggled for a word then settled on the most diplomatic he could think of, "chaste of ladies."

"Perhaps not," Bruce conceded. "But if her daughter is my child, the things she's been through…" He shook his head. "I've tried to live my life by a code, but by abandoning this girl, I violated my code. No," Wayne shook his head, eyes desolate, "worse than that I damaged an innocent."

"Sir, you can hardly be blamed for something you didn't know about," Alfred protested, knowing full well his words in vain, Bruce held himself to a higher standard that he held anyone else to, an unrelenting standard that would break the back of a lesser man. "Besides there is something else to consider." Bruce stared at him. "This young woman you had relations with, sounds to me to perhaps be the gold-digger type. If she had a daughter by you, wouldn't she seek some monies?"

"Perhaps she wasn't sure of the parentage herself as you implied." Bruce paused. "As Barbara said, Eliza was a drug user. Perhaps she simply didn't recall my name." Bruce rose. "However this is supposition on both our parts. We need evidence."

"And how do you propose to get said evidence?" Alfred queried.

Bruce pursed his lips. "The well-known playboy and philanthropist Bruce Wayne is going to visit the academy tomorrow to consider it for a grant."

Alfred nodded. "I'll phone first thing in the morning to arrange an appointment."

"Thank you," Bruce nodded. "And I'll ready the lab for DNA analysis."

"And if she is your daughter, sir?" queried Alfred. "And what if she is a Slayer?"

Bruce shrugged his shoulders. "That's a bridge I'll have to cross when I get to it, I'm afraid."

"Yes sir. Whatever you decide to do, I'm sure you'll make the right decision." Alfred stretched and glanced at the clock. "Sir, it's rather late. If you don't mind, I'd like to turn in."

"By all means," Bruce nodded. "I'll stay up a while and think. I don't think I'll be able to sleep anyway."

Alfred shot his master a worried look as he retreated to the elevator, searching for but failing to find any words to comfort him.


	4. Chapter 4

**FIC: Faith ****Wayne**** (4/?)**

New York City, NY

Solomon Grundy stared down at the quaking man before him, the emissary shaking at his glare. "Tell your masters I agree, I'll be there when they need me. Now get out of my sight before your presence offends me so much that I'm forced to kill you."

* * *

"Hey Xander, you won't believe who I just got off the phone from."

Xander glanced up to see Freddy Iverson peeking through the crack in the doorway. A decision having made early in the creation of the New Council to employ as many Sunnydalers as they could find in an effort to keep everything as in-house as possible. "Angelina Jolie is finally returning my calls?" Xander guessed without much in the way of expectation.

"Does Faith know about your obsession?" Freddy queried with a grin.

"She tolerates it, same as my Babylon 5 and comics obsession," Xander sobered. "So who was it on the phone?"

"A Mr. Alfred Pennyworth." Xander stared blankly at the former editor of the Sunnydale High paper. "Butler of Mr. Bruce Wayne." Xander's jaw dropped, cracking against the desk. "He was making an appointment for Mr. Wayne to come here in the afternoon to look the place over as a prelude to making a donation."

"Oh hell," Xander groaned. The New Council's cover story was that of a charity running eighteen schools throughout the world. The only major country they hadn't managed to penetrate was China, the schools doubling as bases for Slayers, pulling them together to work in teams. However although thanks to centuries of hoarding money, the New Council had more than enough funds to run the now vastly increased number of Slayers. Unfortunately its cover as a charity occasionally meant well-meaning wanna-be donators would come nosing around. "You couldn't put him off?"

Freddy shook his head. "Not without raising his suspicions. I've scheduled an appointment for half one this afternoon."

"Today?" Xander shook his head. "Jeez."

"He was too eager and I didn't want to look like we weren't interested," Freddy replied.

"Okay." Xander pursed his lips, the false backgrounds Willow and the rest of the Archives Department had worked up should be enough to protect them from a billionaire's cursory gaze. Still they had to be careful. "Tell everyone to be on their best behaviour."

"Especially Faith," Freddy grinned down at him.

Xander sighed. "You people take far too much joy out of my discomfort."

"Hey, you end up with a babe like Faith, there's gotta be an upside for the rest of us."

Xander shook his head. "You can't just enjoy another's good fortune can you?"

* * *

"I hate wearin' skirts," Faith complained as she tugged at her pencil grey skirt and adjusted her white blouse under the skirt's matching jacket.

"You're a member of staff," Xander reminded her for the umpteenth time. "You have to look professional-."

"I'm the freakin' PT instructor," Faith complained. "Can't I at least wear sweats?"

"We're trying to make a good impression," Xander let out one of those long-suffering sighs that occasionally threatened to re-awaken her homicidal urges.

"Why, it's not like we need the money?" Faith crossed her arms and scowled.

Xander shot her a patient look. "Our cover is we're a charity giving out scholarships to the disadvantaged and the gifted. We have to make the appearance of being at least interested in getting money from Mr. Wayne."

"Yeah," Faith nodded, "I guess. Can't wait 'til this is over tho'."

"Me neither," Xander paused. "And please try not to swear at him."

"Hey, as long as he keeps his hands to himself," Faith replied. "Otherwise, I can't promise anythin'."

"Ohhhh, a lawsuit, just what we need."

* * *

Bruce dabbed at the sweat gleaming on his forehead as his tinted window limo slowed to a halt. It was remarkable really, he could face the likes of the Joker, Bane, and Two-Face without blanking. But force him to face the spectre of fatherhood and his blood turned to ice..

He started slightly as the door opened and peered at the Academy as he climbed out. It was a rustic-looking three storey granite building, a red and grey sign hanging over its double oaken doors. "Good luck sir."

Bruce glanced at his friend. "Thank you, Alfred."

He started up the eight steps leading to the wooden doors. He was barely half-way up when the door opened and the young man from the previous night stepped out. "Hello Mr. Wayne, it's an honour to meet you. I'm Mr. Harris, the academy's principal, but you can call me Xander."

"An honour?" he smiled slightly as he shook the young man's hand, noting his latent strength. "I think you're slightly over-stating my notoriety there, son."

"Um, yes sir." Bruce noticed the young man seemed even more off balance now with him than when he'd been confronted with the Bat. Clearly this was a young man used to dealing with life's stranger aspects. "Do you want to come in?"

"That's what I'm here for," Bruce replied. "I notice from your student roster, the vast majority are female, there's no prejudice here is there?"

"Not prejudice as such sir, but most societies tend to favour males over females, so if families only have limited funds we find they tend to invest more money in the boys. We're trying to redress the balance."

"I see," Bruce nodded. Xander's explanation was fine as far as it went. However, he'd spent a few hours last night investigating the Watchers' Council Alfred had told him about, and while there was but one Slayer, there were multiple Potentials throughout the world. He thought it probable this school was in fact a training centre for those Potentials with the teen boys in the academy just cover. "I'd like a look at your curriculum and your school's mission statement."

"I'm sure I'll have a copy in my office," Xander replied as he pushed the heavy door open. "After you."

"Thank you," Bruce stepped into the gleaming lobby. All at once he was once again dazzled by the beauty stood in the lobby by the door.

"This is the PT instructor, Faith Lehane," his guide introduced.

Bruce's skin crawled as he took the girl's hand and kissed it. He hated doing it, but he had a reputation and a cover to keep up, and besides, he wasn't supposed to know his possible familial relationship. "If I'd have known that the teachers were so beautiful, I'd have come here a long time-," he released his grip on the woman's hand and stepped back in a feigned look of confusion. "Lehane you say? It's an unusual name."

"Only one I have," Faith exchanged a puzzled look with Xander.

"Yes well," he took the girl's hand and shook rather more formally, "a pleasure to meet-."

"Oww!" the curvy brunette snatched her hand away. "You scratched me!"

"Oh dear," Bruce glanced at his wrists in turn. "These damn cuff-links have been catching on my clothes ever since I got them," he lied. "Fifteen hundred dollars and they're useless." He directed his gaze back at the woman, satisfied the cunningly disguised syringe in his cuff-links would have drawn enough blood for a sample. "I can only apologise."

"Yeah, that's cool," Faith glanced at her nicked palm, "only you best get those cuff-links checked out. The damn things could trump a dagger in a fight!"

"Faith," Xander groaned.

"What?" Bruce bit back a guffaw at the probable Slayer's wounded look at her companion. "I said damn, nothin' else!"

Xander sighed, he had the look of someone constantly embattled by his partner. And yet, Bruce sensed he wouldn't change her for the world. "Shall we begin the tour?"

"By all means," Bruce started after the young man. He originally had intended to subtly pump Xander for information on his possible daughter, but the young man seemed far more perceptive than he first appeared. Deciding to err on the side of caution, he contented himself to ask questions about the academy and its overall running.

Three hours later and he was saying his polite good-byes before hurrying back to the car. "Did everything work out as you expected, sir?"

"I got the sample," Bruce glumly replied. In his mind, he already knew the truth. Faith was his daughter. All he needed now was scientific confirmation.

"Then I'll endeavour to get you home with all appreciable speed, sir."

"I'd appreciate that," Bruce replied.

* * *

Batman's shoulders slumped, his hand rose in an instinctive swat to knock the test tubes to the ground, then dropped back to his side. "Sir, you have your results?"

"I do," the words seemed to be dragged from his employer, "she's mine."

"May I be the first to offer my congratulations, sir?" Alfred tentatively queried.

"Congratulations for what?" Batman turned to face him. "Congratulations for abandoning a child to a life filled with neglect and abuse?"

"Unknowingly," Alfred commented.

"Still." The Bat leaned forward, eyes boring a hole into the computer screen before him. "And even so, what do I know about being a father?"

"Might I remind you that you've raised two fine sons," Alfred commented starchy.

"Let's ignore the middle one of the three turned out to be rather less than stellar."

"Come now, sir," Alfred sternly reprimanded. "You can hardly blame yourself for that."

"Can't I?" Batman shook his head. "Next you'll be telling me I can't blame myself for Dent or Barbara."

"Sir," Alfred turned to watch as his employer strode towards the Batmobile, "where are you going?"

"If I am to tell Faith about this, it'll hit the press pretty quick, there's one more person I need to tell first," Batman cryptically replied.

* * *

Bludhaven

Batman was crouched over the edge of the skyscraper, peering down at the obliviously passing traffic, listening to the roar of their engines and the occasional hoot of their horns.

"I got your message." Nightwing smiled inwardly as his mentor turned to face him without starting. One day, he'd manage to sneak up on him without being detected but not today. "What was so urgent?"

"I've found out something," Batman reached into his utility belt to bring out a folded picture which he passed to him. "I have a daughter."

Nightwing's eyebrows rose, in part at the pouty beauty but mostly because of his former guardian's revelation. "It's fortunate she got her looks from her mother, rather than her father, I'd hate to see those pretty features marred by a permanent scowl."

Batman smiled thinly. "Alfred said something similar."

"Oh and by the way, can I be the first to say I've always wanted to be your son-in-law."

"You're on a regular roll tonight," Batman dryly commented.

"Oh I'm only bantering to give me time to think this one out," Nightwing candidly admitted. "How, when?"

Batman's smile wavered and died. "That's a more complicated matter than you might expect."

Nightwing chuckled. "With us, nothing's ever simple." He listened with growing amazement as Batman explained. "So she's a meta-human?"

Batman grimaced. "That's uncertain. The evidence is contradictory. On the one hand, anecdotal and eye-witness evidence points towards her being the Slayer, but the blood sample displayed nothing untoward."

"If she gets her powers from a magical source, the power might not be visible via a strictly scientific analysis," Nightwing commented.

"The thought had occurred," Batman nodded. "Anyway I thought you deserved to know before it became public knowledge."

"Wait!" Nightwing cried out when his mentor turned to leave. "When are you going to tell her?"

Batman stiffened at his question, then reluctantly turned to face him. "I'm not sure if I am."

"You," Nightwing's eyes widened. "You're ducking out?"

"No," Batman's eyes narrowed. "I'm just not sure if I have the right. She's been through so much, I can't expect to jump in there and become her father."

Oh. Nightwing stared at his father-figure, realisation crashing down on him. "Bruce, why don't you kill the likes of the Joker, the Riddler, and all the others?" He raised his hand at the billionaire's opening mouth. "Yes, I know, the code. But also, don't you hold out the hope that some of them at least might find redemption." Batman's mouth opened again, again he continued over him. "If you hold out a hope that these mass-murderers can possibly be redeemed, surely this hope can be extended to you for the far lesser crime of neglecting a daughter you didn't even know about."

"I don't know who've you've been listening to." Batman half-smiled. "Thanks Dick, I'll see you soon."

Dick grinned. "If you do, don't forget to bring Faith."


	5. Chapter 5

**FIC: Faith ****Wayne**** (5/?)**

"Mr. Harris, it's Bruce Wayne, I'd like to arrange another meeting between myself, you, and Ms. Lehane."

"Yes sir," Xander replied. "Is about funding?"

"No," there was the briefest of hesitation, "it's of a more personal nature."

Xander raised an eyebrow at the billionaire's cryptic tone as he stared at his cell and struggled to decipher what Wayne was talking about. He'd heard of the playboy's roaming eye and struggled to combat the urge to hunt him down and introduce him to his shovel, but if Faith was what he was after, why would he want him there? Xander really didn't see sex as a spectator sport. "Give me a second," Xander tapped at his keyboard for a second, peering at his diary. "I'm busy today, how about seven o'clock this evening?"

"Excellent, see you then."

* * *

"Mr. Wayne here, Xander."

"Yeah," Xander shot him a considering look before glancing towards his companion. "Thanks Freddy, close the door behind you. Mr. Wayne, please sit down."

"Thank you, and please it's Bruce." It was only thanks to years of iron discipline that he managed to keep his expression calm as he took a seat.

"Why ya called us here, Bruce?" Faith favoured him with an impudent smile that had his own lips tugging up in response.

Except then he remembered why he was here and there was nothing funny in that. "Ms. Lehane," he'd rehearsed this conversation a hundred times last night and today, but now it was here, he found himself doubting every word. "I recognise your accent as East Coast, Boston perhaps?" The moment the puzzled woman nodded, he continued. "Is your mother Eliza Lehane?"

"What the hell is this?" Faith growled, eyes flickering from confusion to the angry wariness of a cornered animal. "This Is Your Life?"

"I'll take that as a yes," Bruce continued. "Faith, what is your birth-date?"

"Thinkin' of getting' me a present are ya?" the Slayer joked even as disquiet filled her luminous eyes. "'Cause a new Harley would be off the hook."

"It's June 30th 1982," Xander replied.

"Oh god, then it might be true." Bruce pretended to double-up as if the news he already knew was like a body-blow.

Faith and Xander exchanged puzzled looks. "What might be true?" Xander asked.

"I knew I recognised your surname," Bruce explained with a look towards the curvy brunette. "I rescued your mother from a gang in October '81, we were intimate afterwards."

Faith's curved lips opened and closed several times before she managed to get any sound out. "You're sayin' you might be my dad?" The probable Slayer let out a near-high hysterical laugh. "Even if you did sleep with my mom one night in October, that's an one in thirty-one chance, 'cause my mom, she got around."

"We were together for three nights, so technically it's an one in ten chance."

"Damn," Faith shook her head. "You were a long-term one for my mom."

"Nevertheless," Bruce continued manfully on, "I would be remiss in my responsibilities if I didn't do a DNA test."

Faith snorted. "Seriously? What's the point, it's like twenty-four years too late."

"Perhaps I can make it up to you."

The moment the words were out, the mirth left the brunette's eyes to be replaced with an implacable darkness. "Make it up to me?" the Slayer grated. "How do you figure making it up to me, all the times my mom used me as a punch-bag, all the men who figured access to mom equalled access to me-."

"Faith," the softly toned interruption came from Xander, "he didn't know."

Faith glowered at him with an intensity that would have made him buckle but for his experiences with the likes of the Joker, Bane, and the others but finally the Slayer nodded before slouching back into her chair. "'Pose not."

"How do you wish to handle this?" Xander asked into the tense silence.

Bruce had prepared for this question. "I have a number of labs, I could submit DNA samples to anyone of them for comparison under assumed names-."

Faith's eyes narrowed. "Make it up to me, but make sure no-one finds out 'bout your dirty lil secret?"

"No," Bruce shook his head. He realised the touchy Slayer would need very careful handling. "I'm more than happy to announce all this, but I thought you'd want time to get used to it before it came out to the press."

"Yeah," Faith nodded stiffly. "I guess."

* * *

The moment they'd finished discussing the DNA test, Mr. Wayne got up and excused himself. Faith turned to him as the door clicked shut behind the billionaire. "Me related to Gotham's second most famous citizen?" Faith snorted and shook her head. "Gotta be bullshit, right?"

"It's stretching coincidence," Xander agreed. "I mean he just happens to turn up here to make a donation, then decides you're his long-lost daughter."

"Yeah," Faith rose and started pacing the suddenly cramped office, claustrophobia threatening to choke her. "I just can't figure what his angle is."

"Of course there's the alternative," Faith looked towards her boy-friend. "I'm totally playing devil's advocate here, but what if he's telling the truth? What if you really are his daughter?"

"Well shit," Faith slumped into one of the office's chairs, the strength suddenly leaving her legs. "That's a hell of a note."

* * *

Alfred opened the door for him as he made his way down the steps. "How did it go, sir?"

Bruce grimaced. "About as well as could be expected."

"Ah, that's unfortunate," Alfred hurried over to his driver's seat, "but she agreed to do the test?"

"She agreed," Bruce stared up at the ceiling as the car set off. And then once the test results were in, a whole new raft of problems would present themselves, not least amongst them the attention of his enemies. He could of course attempt to keep Faith secret, but it was his experience that these sort of things usually got out, and anyway, if he tried to keep Faith secret, he suspected that would only further alienate the already wary Slayer.

And if she was indeed the Slayer, she wasn't exactly incapable of protecting herself.

Then there was the question of her criminal past. While her records as a juvenile had been closed, Barbara had been able to break into them, it wasn't beyond the realms of possibility that someone else could do the same. He could of course pre-empt the release by leaking the information himself, but it wasn't his information to leak, and he somehow knew the brunette would react volcanically if he acted without her consent.

Then there was the impact she'd probably have with his relationships with Alfred, Barbara, Dick, and Tim.

Bruce groaned. Life had been so much simpler just a few days ago.

* * *

"Jeez, X," Faith licked her lips as they headed towards the darkness-shrouded laboratory, "this is scary shit."

Xander wrapped an arm around and squeezed her shoulder. "It'll be alright."

"Will it though?" Faith shot Xander a worried look. "I mean if the test results are negative, cool. But if they're positive, that's major life-change right there."

"Did you ever wonder?"

"I guess," Faith shrugged, embarrassed to admit to her childhood dreams of having King Arthur riding in, putting her on his horse, and takin' her to Camelot to live with him. "When I was a kid, kinda stopped wondering 'fore I hit ten." By then her mom had shattered any illusions 'bout anyone wantin' a piece of her.

"Well maybe today you'll get some answers."

"If that was meant to be comfortin', really wasn't," Faith said as she sat down on the dimly-illuminated reception area's couch.

"Yeah, I know, I suck."

"Hardly stud," Faith smiled up at her boy-friend as she snuggled into his side, "just glad you're here."

Xander smiled down at her. "Wouldn't be anywhere else."

The two of them looked up as the door buzzed open and Mr. Wayne and a grey-haired man in his seventies who stood unbent despite his years. "Faith, Xander," the billionaire nodded at them both in turn before turning to his companion, "this is Alfred Pennyworth, my butler and friend."

"Ms. Lehane," the elderly man bowed at the waist. "You're even more beautiful than Mr. Wayne said."

"Heh," Faith grinned at the Englishman. "If I get a butler, can mine be as suave as Aflie?"

"I am afraid," the Englishman dipped his head, "I am unique."

"Don't worry 'bout that," Faith's grin widened. "We'll talk wages later."

"Mr. Wayne," an inner door beeped open and a thin, short man with sandy-brown hair parted down the middle and wearing a lab coat hurried out, "I have those results, if you'll come this way?"

Faith's heart thundered as she followed the tech into the laboratory. "What's the news?"

The scientist looked from Wayne to her and then at the desk. "The test results match sir, she's your daughter."

"Holy-," her legs would have buckled under her but for Xander grabbing her by the shoulder and holding her upright.

Xander gulped, looked from her and then to Wayne, then back at the scientist. "How accurate is this test?"

The lab-rat looked mildly affronted that his test had been called into integrity but answered anyway. "Parental testing is the use of genetic fingerprinting to determine whether two individuals have a biological parent-child relationship. A paternity test establishes genetic proof whether a man is the biological father of an individual, and a maternity test establishes whether a woman is the biological mother of an individual. DNA testing is currently the most advanced and accurate technology to determine parentage. In a DNA parentage test, the probability of parentage is 0% when the alleged parent is not biologically related to the child and the probability of paternity typically greater than 99.9% when the alleged parent is biologically related to the child."

"Then it's true?" Faith gasped as she turned her gaze towards the billionaire, caught half-way between elation and a cold-burning rage. Intellectually she knew all the bad things that had happened to her during her childhood weren't his fault, that he hadn't known anything about her. But emotionally….

Faith bit down on her bottom lip, almost hard enough to draw blood, the brief stab of pain enough to derail her growing rage.

They were back in the lobby before she was aware of it. But then she spun to face her father, dark eyes glittering with malice. "Would it have made a difference?" Wayne's mouth opened, but her own rising in volume voice overrode it. "When I was a kid? Would you have cared?" Faith scowled at the billionaire. "Or would you have left me?"

"Miss Lehane," it was Alfred rather than the increasingly pole-axed looking billionaire who spoke. "Mr. Wayne has raised two sterling sons, it is not in his nature to abandon his responsibilities."

"Faith."

She forced herself to calm at the sound of Xander's voice and the feel of his hand on her arm. "Yeah, like whatever." Faith shook her head and started for the doorway.

"We have things to discuss," Bruce said.

Faith waved a contemptuous hand at the billionaire. "Leave me a few mil in your will and we'll call it even."

"I'm not willing to leave it at that."

Faith looked towards the billionaire. "It ain't up to you!"

"Faith," Xander stepped between her and the billionaire, "can we just talk for a minute?" Before she had chance to reply, Xander had hold of her arm and was guiding her to the far side of the lobby. "I thought you said you wanted a dad?"

"That was when I was a kid, I know you've noticed I'm all woman-sized now!" Faith snapped, her anger growing to engulf everyone involved in this whole mess.

"Oh I noticed," Xander dryly replied. "But he's trying, he's reaching out. The least you can do is give him a chance."

"I don't trust him," Faith growled.

Xander grinned down at her. "Half the time you don't trust me."

"True," Faith felt a smile tugging at her own lips. Only Fang could calm her moods like Xan could. "Let's get this done." Faith took a breath and stepped towards the billionaire. "So what do ya wanna do?"

The billionaire looked towards his butler and then towards her. "Ideally, I'd like to keep this in-family, introduce you to my wards and allow us to get to know one another at a sedate pace." Wayne sighed. "Unfortunately given my relative notoriety any attempt would be futile," Faith rolled her eyes, geez all the big words made 'Pops' sound like a windbag Watcher. "So, to avoid the news leaking out, we release it ourselves."

"When?" Xander queried.

"This is a little audacious but I have a charity gala I'm hosting this Saturday night," Wayne replied. "Perhaps we can announce that I have a daughter on Thursday, and that your first public appearance will be at the gala." Wayne smiled wryly. "If nothing else it'll bump ticket sales up."

"You wanna use me as publicity?" Faith's eyes narrowed, her temper building again.

"In a good cause," her father raised a placating hand. "And it gets your reveal dealt in one fell swoop."

"The press are still gonna sniff 'round," Faith took a breath as she looked towards Xander. Xander smiled reassuringly. "Look you might as well know 'fore we start 'bondin''," Faith shook her head, fuck she hated that word, and took a breath, "I ain't 'xactly lilly-white. I've got a record-."

"A record that was expunged at the behest of the British government, for some reason," Faith blinked at the interruption. Wayne smiled slightly. "I investigated your past during the days we were waiting for the DNA results. I can't say I'm overwhelmed, but you're my daughter and nothing will ever change that." Wayne swallowed. "Nor would I want it to."

Faith stared at the man, shocked by his acceptance of her sordid past. "Yeah 'kay," Faith smirked suddenly. "I guess I can do this, but on one-, no two conditions."

Wayne raised an eyebrow. "I can't wait to hear them."

"You add a charity that looks after runaways and or abuse victims to your gala-."

"There's several already on the bill," Wayne interrupted. "And your other condition?"

"You," Faith grimaced, "you buy me a dress."


	6. Chapter 6

**FIC: Faith ****Wayne**** (6/?)**

"Whoa," Faith stared at the house as their car pulled up outside of the Wayne mansion. "It ain't a house, it's a freakin' castle!"

"Yeah," Xander grimaced as he pulled into a parking spot. "And my saloon doesn't exactly look in place next to these Rollers, Mercedeses, and Lamborghinis."

"Yeah honey, we'll talk to Giles about your car allowance," Faith absently comforted as she stared at her dad's house.

The gothic mansion was huge, four storeys high at least. It was constructed out of massive grey slabs, and in each corner there stood a tower that was at least two storeys higher than the rest of the house. The perfectly trimmed lawns, the dude had to have an army of gardeners, went on for acres in each direction, ending just before the twenty foot stone wall that surrounded the castle, CCTV cameras everywhere.

Even as she stared at the looming mansion, the thick wooden doors opened to reveal Alfie stood there. Faith felt a reluctant smile tugging at her lips. Him at least she liked, old guy was kinda smooth.

"Come on then," Xander sighed as he climbed out of the car. "Let's get this over with."

Faith arched an eyebrow. "You gonna go all alpha male on Pops?"

Xander half-grinned as he joined her in hurrying up the dozen stone steps leading up to the mansion. "Not unless he makes me."

"You go tiger," Faith winked at her man before grinning at the butler. "Hey Alfie, how's its hanging?"

The old man's weathered face tugged up in a smile. "Ms. Lehane, Mr. Harris, please come in, Mr. Wayne is waiting in the drawing room."

"Cool," Faith's breath caught as she followed the butler through the tastefully decorated hallway and into a gleaming drawing room with a trio of three seater lounges arranged in a sort of semi-circle, the two men in the room rising at their entry.

"Faith," Wayne rose with a smile, "thank you for coming." Her 'pop' glanced at the youth beside him, Faith guessed that he was in his late teens. "This is Tim Drake, my ward."

"Hey," Faith glanced at the youth. He was dark-haired with intelligent blue eyes and a square, determined jaw. Guy looked to be in real good shape too, not a bodybuilder, more a lean gymnast's physique. "Pleased to meet you."

"And you," the young man's welcoming smile eased at least some of her worries about any jealousy he might have 'bout her turning up.

"My former ward, Dick Grayson, sends his apologies, but business in Bludhaven prevents him from joining us." Bruce looked towards his ward. "Tim, will you take Mr. Harris-."

"Call me Xander," Xander looked towards both men in turn, "I'm not keen on formality."

"As you wish, Tim will take you on a tour." Wayne nodded, "I'll take Faith. Alfred-."

"I have my duties to attend to sir," Alfred bobbed his head respectfully before looking towards her, "a pleasure as always Ms. Lehane."

"You too Alfie," Faith winked at the butler.

"Shall we?" Faith shook her head as she saw Xan link arms with Tim. "Lead on young man!"

"Goof," Faith chuckled as she fell in beside Bruce.

"How long have you and Xander known one another?" Bruce asked as they started up the entrance hall's two-pronged, sweeping staircase.

"Huh," Faith smiled slightly at the bittersweet memories, "nine years. I didn't really notice him at first though."

"What changed?"

Faith arched her eyebrow at the third degree, but decided to endure it as long as the questioning didn't get too personal. "I realised when all the flash was gone, Xan was still there, steady, loyal, loving. When I grew up I realised those sort of qualities were more valuable than what I'd been goin' for before."

"That doesn't sound a lot like love," her father commented.

"Well it is, he makes me feel worth somethin', makes me laugh, feel loved, I love him." Plus he got her wicked horny, but she wasn't about to admit that to Pops. "And just in case you were thinkin' 'bout it," Faith glared warningly at her father. "Don't be employin' P.I.s to investigate Xan, I know everythin' I need to 'bout my guy."

Faith was surprised when Wayne smiled rather than recoiled at her scowl. "I'll bear that in mind."

The two of them continued on, Faith evading or flat out-lying to any question that somehow related to her Slaying. The house was just 'bout what she expected, finery, money, and privilege pouring out of every room.

The one exception was the ground floor gym. Where she might have expected mirrored-walls and the latest in fancy but ineffective fitness equipment, instead she got a room with only the fundamentals. A rack of increasingly heavy dumbbells, a squat rack, a leg press, an incline bench, a rowing machine, a crunch bar, a bench, a chin up bar, a set of gymnastic rings, a vaulting horse, and parallel bars. "This is kinda hardcore," Faith announced as she looked around the drab room, a stark contrast to the bright colours and tasteful decoration throughout the rest of the house.

"When one's in the public eye, one likes to keep in shape." For a second the normally unflappable Bruce looked flustered. "Vanity you know." The billionaire glanced at his Rolex. "Cook will have luncheon ready, and then Alfred will take you into town to get a dress for the charity gala."

"Oh happy day."

* * *

"You've gotta be trippin'," Faith stared with horror at the rows and rows of flamboyant ball and evening gowns in the brightly lit shop.

"Ms. Lehane," Alfred said beside her. "The Fancy is one of Gotham's most exclusive boutiques. Mr. Wayne has kept an account here for his paramours for years."

"Para-, what?" Faith looked at the butler, brow furrowing in confusion.

"His lady friends," Alfred clarified.

"Gotcha," Faith looked around. So the women here probably thought-. Faith shook her head and chuckled. That was weird even for her. And no way was she wearing any of the sequined gowns, way too fancy for her. "Huh," she spied a plain, halter-style, knee-length black dress. Simple cut to it, but very well made. "I'll take that." She pointed at the dress.

"Ms. Lehane, Mr. Wayne's budget can stretch to a far more extravagant dress," Alfred protested.

"It's this dress or I go in a leather mini and a crop top," Faith retorted.

Alfred sighed. "No wonder your young man excused himself out of this trip."

Faith's nose wrinkled. "What's that supposed to-."

"Little black dress it is then," the butler hurriedly interrupted.

* * *

Metropolis, The Daily Planet

"Lane! Get in here now!"

Lois sighed at her boss' bellicose bellow. "Coming Perry," she muttered as she rose, chugged down the last of the morning's coffee, and hurried into the office.

Perry glared at her as she entered the office, the rotund man's sleeves rolled up to reveal his thick forearms, and the trademark unlit cigar dangling from the left side of his mouth. "Sit down!" Perry roared. "I thought you had contacts with Wayne?" Perry flung a paper across the desk at her. "Great Caesar's Ghost! Scooped by The Gotham Globe of all rags!"

Lane's jaw dropped as she looked down at the paper that had landed in her lap. "Bruce Wayne's secret daughter?" she dazedly read the headline before looking up. "How is this possible?"

"I assume your high school biology classes filled that in for you, Lane," White humourlessly commented. "I don't know who she is, where she is, only that she's to be unveiled at this charity gala in a few days' time." White paused. "But I do know something!"

"Oh yes?" Lois queried.

"You're gonna get the first interview with the mystery woman," Perry replied.

* * *

Intergang, Metropolis.

"Have you seen the headlines! This is a real opportunity!"

Bruno Mannheim glowered down at his subordinate. "How so?" he growled, his voice rumbling out of his thick chest like a falling avalanche.

His subordinate pointed at the headline again, the boardroom hushed as his subordinates listened to the two of them talk. "We all know how much money Wayne has, we snatch the girl, send him a few photos, and tell him ten mil or we send his girl back to him piece by piece."

"No," Bruno shook his head. It was tempting but…. "It's too high-profile, we work from the shadows – extortion, prostitution, gambling, drug-dealing, loan sharks. A caper like this would shine too much light onto criminal operations throughout the country, stifling our profit-making opportunities on a national scale. The money we'd lose far exceeds what we'd make."

His subordinate leaned towards him, finger jabbing at the paper's headline. "But the millions we could make! It's easy money!"

The man barely managed to get off a shocked gurgle before Bruno had him by his hair, pulling his head down into the table before him, the man's face collapsing inwards as blood covered the desk, bones shattering under the repeated assault. When he was finally satisfied the man was dead, he looked towards his dazed looking subordinates. "As I was saying, no. Has anyone else got any questions?"

* * *

Location Unknown

Ra's al Ghul stared stonily at the newspaper before him, only his iron discipline and self-control enabling him to keep his rage leashed. Wayne had a daughter, a child? That put this bitch in the way of his plans for Talia and Wayne.

Which was fatally unfortunate for her.

Ra'al Ghul bit his bottom lip as he considered his options. His League was filled with hordes who could do the job, but sending one of his own people was out of the question, the Bat's detective skills ensured he'd track the murder back to him.

He could simply hire a few low level thugs to fake a street robbery and a murder, but when you hired untalented thugs, there was always a greater chance that things would go wrong, and forewarn the Bat. Ghul shook his head. No, he had to work through cut-outs and hire an independent, someone who had no idea who was picking up the tab.

Merlyn was a possibility, the man's skills with a bow had few betters. However, he was also a former League member, using him was too much of a link.

Deathstroke was a possibility, he doubted there was a more uniquely skilled independent in the world. However, his intelligence made him very dangerous, he could easily track the contract back to him. Best to leave such a wild card alone.

Black Spider? Talented but erratic, too emotional.

Deadshot? He was undoubtedly talented, but Lawton's death-wish made him wary.

Shado? Another rare talent, but her links to the Yakuza made using her problematic.

"Constantine Drakon," Ghul's lips tugged up into a smile. The Greek assassin was hugely talented and coldly methodical, dogged in the pursuit of his target until they were dead. He was a superb candidate for the League, except he had no interest in their goals, or in anything but money and the kill. "Just perfect."

* * *

Lights exploded before Faith's eyes as she climbed out of Wayne's limo, her apparent father and Xander beside her, the flash of a thousand cameras almost blinding her. Ignoring the shouts from media and onlookers held back by police and security, she made her way down the red carpet leading to the ballroom.

The breath gusted from her as she looked around the pillar-rowed ballroom, the columns stretching up to its high, creamy-white ceiling while at the vast chamber's far end, a string quartet played some classical music or other. Conscious of all the eyes from the tables from both far sides of the columns looking towards her, she looked towards her tuxedoed 'father', she hadn't quite got used to his parentage, and forced a smile. "Where's our table?"

Bruce looked towards an approaching waiter. "The Wayne party."

"Yes, sir!" the waiter nodded. "If you'll please follow me."

The next hour passed in a quiet hell for Faith, the crappy music and the nouvelle cuisine food that couldn't fill up a mouse, she was definitely stopping off at KFC or McDonalds on the way home, combining to irritate the hell out of her. Finally though, the last course had been served.

"Faith, would you care to join me for a dance?"

Faith glanced at her pop before slowly nodding. "Yeah sure." Her and Xan had gone undercover in the European aristocracy to track down a rogue mage and as such they'd had to learn the basics of ballroom dancing – the waltz, the quickstep, the tango, and the mambo. Course it wasn't 'xacly her kind of dancin', but it wasn't like Slayers had two left feet.

"Well Brucie," Faith glanced over her shoulder as she rose to see a slender, rakish-lookin' man 'bout her dad's age approaching them, "where have you been hiding this divine creature?"

"Behind me." Faith snorted inwardly when Xander turned his head and looked at the man.

The fop paled at Harris' one-eyed stare. "Well as always a pleasure, Brucie," the man trilled before retreating.

"You have the nicest friends, pops," Faith drawled.

"J. Devlin Davenport is no friend of mine," her father growled before looking at her. "Now that dance?"

"Sure, pops."

"I've got the next," Xander put in.

She'd just finished her third dance with Xan, her boy-toy having hurried off to get her some punch, when she was approached by a bald, bullet-headed man around her pops' age. "Ms. Wayne, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Faith's eyes widened as she recognised the man from the papers as one of the few with the wealth and notoriety to match her father's. "Mr. Luthor?" she was so shocked, she forgot her customary correction of her name.

The billionaire genius smiled at her like a shark marking his prey. "It's always a pleasure to be recognised by a beautiful young woman."

"Now Luthor, you wouldn't be hogging the celebrity of the hour would you," suddenly a blond-haired, bearded man with green eyes and a lithe, athletic frame around her dad's age was by the billionaire's side, a tall, curvy blonde maybe ten years his junior beside him. "That'd be most uncharacteristically selfish of you!"

Luthor's lip curled up, a hard tint coming to his eyes. "Queen," the solitary word grated from the businessman's lips, he turned towards her, nodded and stalked away without uttering another word.

"He's always been such a warm and friendly chap," the man flashed her a smile and presented his hand. "Oliver Queen of Star City, this is my girl-friend Dinah Lance."

"Pleased to meet you, you friends of Bruce, huh, dad?" she queried.

"Friends, allies, business rivals," Queen glanced towards Luthor's departing back. "Him on the other hand, he's a very dangerous man."

"Practically defines the word unscrupulous," added Dianah.

"Yeah," Faith nodded. "I kinda got that read off him."

"Your drink Faith," Xander appeared at her shoulder.

"Thanks hon," Faith took the glass of punch, hiding a grimace. As a rule she liked somethin' much stronger, but she didn't think her knockin' back shots of JD would go down well in this rarefied company. "This is Oliver Queen and Dinah Lance."

"Oliver Queen of Queen Industries?" Xander queried.

"The same." There was a flash of a smile.

* * *

"Whoa," Xander whispered, his eyes fixed on the statuesque brunette dressed in a shimmering, full-length red evening gown, her glossy dark mane resting on her bare shoulders. "Is that who I think it is?"

"Diana Prince," Bruce interrupted her boy-friend's drooling before she was forced to shove her foot all the way up her ass, "Themyscira's ambassador."

"I was gonna say Wonder Woman but okay," Xander gulped. "She's actually here?"

Faith rolled her eyes at Xander's continued drooling. "Oh yes," Bruce continued. "Diana and I are old," the woman in question turned and waved discreetly towards them before slinking across the busy dancefloor to them, "friends." Everyone rose at the woman's approach. "Hello Diana, are you enjoying the gala?"

The towering brunette wrinkled her nose. "Oh you know me, Bruce, I appreciate the idea behind these events but hate the glad-handing. But I had to come and meet your daughter!" Faith blinked when Wonder Woman turned her gaze on her, 'kay that was the first time since puberty when she'd found herself feelin' dowdy. "I notice none of the reports mentioned just how beautiful she was!" The older woman stuck out her hand. "Diana, pleased to meet you."

"My name is Faith," the words stumbled out as she shook the other woman's hand, "I'm a big fan."

"Thank you, it's always good to be appreciated." Diana flashed her a smile before looking towards her newly-acquired father. "Bruce, can I have a word in private."

"Of course," Bruce nodded towards her and Xander in turn, "I'll just be a moment."

"I'm a big fan," Xander sniggered across the table from her as the others stalked away.

Faith gave Harris her death-glare. "You better keep it in your pants tonight Harris, otherwise I might just rip it off."

* * *

The moment they were clear of where anyone could hear them, Diana spoke. "Did you know your daughter is in our exclusive club?"

Bruce smiled wryly at his friend's oblique reference. "I met her while doing a nocturnal patrol."

"Oh," Diana raised an inquiring eyebrow. "And does she know about your hobbies?"

"No," Bruce shook his head. "And I intend to keep that part of my life separate."

"Good luck with that," Diana snorted.


	7. Chapter 7

**FIC: Faith ****Wayne**** (7/?)**

London, England

"Mr Giles! Mr. Giles!"

Giles sighed as his door burst open and one of the new Slayers, a usually polite Brummie by the name of Mary, raced into his office, her face flushed with excitement. "Young lady," he fixed her with his most forbidding stare, "you're not a yank, you should have at least enough manners to knock!"

"Sorry sir." The curly-haired brunette seemed to barely register either his reprimand or his frosty glare. "But have you looked on Entertainment Weekly's website this morning?"

"Oh yes dear," he sniffed sarcastically, "it's the first thing I do, right after I've finished The Times. Sometimes even before."

"Well you should look!" Giles blinked when the girl more or less pushed him aside and started typing at his computer's keyboard, yes he'd been forced to concede to technology and progress. "They've got a photo of Bruce Wayne's daughter up!"

Giles raised an eyebrow, he'd heard of the billionaire of course and the furore surrounding his recently discovered mystery daughter, but couldn't care less about some pampered yank or other. "Fascinating I'm sure, this concerns us-." His words trailed off when the website flickered up to reveal a very surprising but very familiar face. "Oh good lord!"

"It's Faith!" Mary cried.

"I have eyes," Giles mumbled, unable to shift his gaze from the screen. It was crazy, but there was Faith, sandwiched between a man he recognised as the infamous playboy and Xander. He winced inwardly as he considered Buffy's jealous reaction. Somehow he guessed the Italian Slayer House's shoe budget would rocket as she comfort-shopped for the next few weeks.

Or, dear god, years.

* * *

"Hello Faith, Xander," her father greeted as they entered his house the morning after the charity gala. "Xander, I understand you wanted to try out the gym?" Bruce queried.

Xander glanced at her, Faith could recognise a dismissal when she heard one. Faith nodded slightly. Xander looked at her dad. "Yeah, but I forgot my gear."

"There's always some spare clothes in the locker room ny the gym," Bruce smiled. "Tim's waiting for you there."

Faith turned towards her father the moment Xander was outta of earshot. "Never ever do that again. Anythin' you wanna say to me, Xander can hear too, you dig?"

"As you wish," her father nodded apologetically. "A friend of mine has asked a favour of you-."

Memories of her mom telling her she should be a good girl for one of 'mom's friends' flashed in her mind. "You can back the fuck off now," she warned. "And me and X are leavin', I see you again and I'll cut your fucking nuts off!"

"What-," her father looked briefly rocked by her rage. Faith turned away from him before she gave into the temptation to put her fist through his face. "Wait!"

"Big mistake," she snarled as her father's hand landed on her shoulder, her own hands shooting up to grab his thick wrist as she snapped forward at the waist and flung him over her. No man had gotten away with man-handling her in a long time. Her eyes widened when her father hit the ground on his shoulders and rolled up into a crouch. "How did you do that!"

"My first ward, Dick Grayson, came from a family of acrobats. When I took him in, I learnt the skills as a way of getting close," her father explained, a wary expression on his face.

"Whatever," Faith growled with a shake of the head. Somethin' didn't ring true 'bout that, but she was too pissed to think 'bout it overmuch. "I'm gettin' Xander and goin'."

"My friend is a reporter as his wife, he's asked for the exclusive for his wife," Bruce paused. "She might be easier on you than someone we don't know."

"Right," Faith stared at the man, a slight warmth rising in her cheeks as she realised her suspicious nature and hot temper had combined to get her in trouble again. "Um, sorry." Jesus, she'd nearly punched his lights out.

"Faith, I know what your mother was and how you were treated as a child. There's nothing I can do about that, as much as I'd like to. But I can guarantee I'll never stop trying to make up for not being there."

"Yeah," Faith stared warily at the man. He was kinda closed off, like there was a public Wayne, the playboy, and a darker, more serious one that could give Angel tips on brooding. "I guess we better set up an appointment or somethin' with them-."

"They're in the study."

"You assume a lot don't ya?" Faith half-smiled, her embarrassment easing.

"You meeting them made sense," her father replied before leading her towards the rear of the sprawling mansion. "And where did you learn judo?"

"My guardian hired a sensei to train with me after school," Faith explained, that much at least was true. As a potential she'd learnt Muay Thai, Aiki-jitsu, Tae Kwon Do, Jujitsu, and Wing Chun. All in all, despite only bein' a recognised Potential for three years 'fore bein' called, she was probably one of the best trained out there. Course her skills base had expanded rapidly upon Calling. "And ever since becomin' a PT instructor I've tried to learn as much about the Martial Arts as I can."

Bruce looked at her, something flickering behind his impassive stare. "She looked after you?"

"Diana and I were tight," Faith replied. She wasn't about to share the fact that Diana had been the nearest thing to a parent the child version of her had ever known, that nightmares of her gruesome death had haunted her for months after her murder, and that she still missed her today.

"Good, I'm glad you had somebody." Bruce came to a halt by the study door. "My friends are to be trusted, still….."

"Be careful what I say?" Faith wrinkled her nose. It was an uneeded warning, but she nodded anyhow. "Yeah, figured that."

"Excellent," Bruce opened the door and strode in to reveal a beautiful brunette about her height but ten to fifteen years older and a thick-set man maybe her dad's age. "Lois, Clark, this is my daughter Faith." Bruce looked towards Clark. "Clark, why don't we leave the ladies to it?"

* * *

"Very sly of you, separating Lois and I," Clark smiled wryly as he followed his closest ally into his drawing room.

"I wasn't about to allow you and Lois to gang up on Faith," Bruce replied as he poured two glasses of wine and passed him one. "Even if she is super-powered."

"What?" the glass was half-way to Clark's mouth when Bruce's words hit home, his eyes widening slightly.

"She's something called a Slayer according to Alfred." Bruce chuckled. "And you should be very grateful Lois got this interview, Faith threw me across the room when I first suggested it."

Clark listened with increasing surprise as his friend explained. "What do you intend to do about this?"

Bruce pulled a face. "I'm not sure I can do anything, I can't stop her from being a Slayer. She's not someone who seems to respond well to being told what to do. Information about this Council is a little difficult to come by. Given that Oracle failed to hack it, I suspect their computer systems are magically protected. And I can't exactly ask Faith, because that'll open up a whole load of other problems."

"Have you considered talking to Blood or Fate?" Clark suggested as he supped at the red.

"Considered it, but they're a little hard to get hold of at the moment, and I don't want to risk word getting out in the occult world that the girl revealed as Bruce Wayne's daughter is a Slayer."

"No, I don't suppose you would," Clark pursed his lips. "I could check at the Fortress to see if I have any information about Slayers? There might be something under Earth legends or the supernatural."

Bruce's lips pulled up in an all-too rare smile. "I'd appreciate that old friend."

Clark smiled back. "First chance I get," he promised, his brow furrowing as another thought occurred. "I'm betting the rumours I hear about you accidentally meeting her at a business meeting aren't the whole truth."

"They are as far as Faith knows," Bruce replied. "The truth is rather different. And not publishable."

"Oh, I was taking that as read," Clark sipped at his wine. His constitution ensured he couldn't get drunk, heck he could drink a wine cellar and not even get a buzz, but he liked the taste. "But I'd like to hear the story."

"Of course," he listened as his friend talked. To anyone else it would have sounded like a clinically impersonal recital of events, but to someone so versed in Bruce Wayne and with his enhanced senses, he could hear the pride in every word.

* * *

Luthor smiled as he entered the single-storey nondescript office building via the side entrance and crept down its dimly lit corridor. He'd worked years building contacts in the political, business, and judicial worlds to ensure that all of his schemes had as smooth as possible passage. Of course those costumed clowns frequently got in his way.

But not for much longer. Luthor smirked as he stopped at the door at the end of the corridor and knocked authoritatively.

His knocks were still echoing through the corridor when a deep voice growled from within. "Come in sir."

"Thank you Amanda," Luthor replied before grasping the door's brass handle, opening it, and striding into the plushly decorated office, complete with immaculately varnished desk, avant-garde artwork adorning the walls, and a thick, fluffy carpet.

There was nothing plush about the woman sat behind the room's orderly desk. She was sheer business, a square box of a woman with a determined jaw-line, intelligent eyes, and short-cut, unfeminine black hair. The plain grey suit she was wearing only added to her no-nonsense aura.

Ms. Waller had had a chequered career in the murkier aspects of government service having run both the Suicide Squad and Checkmate, but having been ignominiously fired from both lofty positions. However through all her trials and tribulations she had remained steadfastly dedicated to him.

To be honest, he wasn't sure if it was because of loyalty, fear, or a lack of imagination. "Your call was quite intriguing," he murmured as he settled into the chair opposite his underling. "You mentioned some news about Ms. Faith Lehane?"

"Her name triggered a memory, so I checked our files." Waller pushed a burgundy folder across the gleaming desk. "She's a mystically-activated Meta-Human, not a major one, but perhaps a danger nonetheless."

Luthor's eyes widened as he read the range of the 'Slayer's' skills and abilities. "Talented," he muttered. He chuckled as he read on, read the young woman's history, seeing the potential for mischief.

"I thought you'd be interested in her," Amanda commented.

"You thought correctly," Luthor steepled his fingers together as he sat back in his chair and pursed his lips in thought. "We'll keep her powers secret, let Wayne think we have no idea what his bombshell really is." His mouth pulled up into a cruel smirk. "But that whore of a mother and the criminal record on the other hand. Leaking them to contacts other than our usual in the press could prove very uncomfortable to Wayne. After all, the people have a right to know!" He chuckled. "And provide me with at least a little entertainment."

"I'll get right on it sir."


	8. Chapter 8

**FIC: Faith ****Wayne**** (8/?)**

"I want to know who did it!" Wayne's fist slammed down on the coffee table as he glared impotently at the flat-screen TV, the news and entertainment channels running non-stop on the sordid revelations relating to Faith and her past.

"And then what sir?" Alfred as always tried to act as the calming light in his employer's darker moments. "You'll attack them for revealing these secrets?"

"No," Bruce's jaw clenched tightly, so tightly Alfred fancied he could hear the younger man's teeth grinding, "but these were sealed files. There has to be something my army of lawyers can do against them." Bruce chuckled but there was little or no amusement in the sound. "Once the Bat has found them."

"Perhaps your first priority should be contacting the young lady in question?" Alfred suggested.

"Don't think I haven't tried." Bruce grimaced at his comment. "She's not picking up, but I've left messages on her answer machine."

"Perhaps I should drive you there to see-."

"No," Bruce cut him off with a determined shake of the head. "The press will be parked outside her place, I'll not give those vultures a photo opportunity."

* * *

"Faith, are you sure about this?"

Faith forced her gaze away from the blaring headlines proclaiming 'Secret Shame Of Billionaire's Siren Heiress' to look towards her boy-friend. The stuff about her mom was no big deal. Hell, you had no control over who your parents were, but the stuff about her own mistakes bein' out there for anyone with change from a dollar to read was pretty shitty. There was a ton of stuff she'd done in Boston that she'd never ever told even Xander about.

And now it was all out in black and white.

"Hey I gotta go out sometime, right?" Faith shook her head. "Gotta show those rat bastard paparazzi that I ain't scared of them."

"Okay," Xander sighed. "I'll get my coa-."

"Thanks hon and thanks for carin'," Faith leaned up and gently kissed Xander on the cheek, placing her finger against his lips to still the inevitable protest, "but I gotta do this on my own." Before Xander could complain, she grabbed her leather jacket off the couch, took her Aviators out of the pocket, and put them and the jacket on. Then she pulled her keys out of her pocket and hurried out to her newly bought Harley and roared off down the school's gravel path and blitzed past the reporters encamped outside its gates.

* * *

Faith hid a grimace as she made her way through the department store, noting the way people would glance at her then snap their heads away as if frightened. She wanted to grab and shake them until they admitted she wasn't that murderous psychopath anymore, but then that would hardly help her case would it?

Faith sighed as she turned her attention to a rack of fashionable dresses. She'd always been a leather and denim kinda girl, but now she actually she had money she supposed she should at least consider spending some of the up-market money on up-market clothes.

Yeah, that was just another problem to go with her new-found pop. She'd grown up being told that her dad was a louse who wanted nothing to do with 'a stupid waste of space like her', but now she found that wasn't the truth at all. Part of her, the dark part that she always struggled to control, wanted to do nothing more than tear him limb from limb for leavin' her in a hell that he hadn't even known about. In fact it was probably only the 'hadn't known about' part that was savin' his ass right about now.

Another part, the part that both Xander and Angel had seen when they'd reached out to her, wanted nothing more than to be loved, the way the Mayor had loved her. Then there was the wary street rat who wondered just how sincere the guy was, and also about the side of him that seemed hidden.

Not that Wayne's setup wasn't pretty sweet, a great big mansion, a staff of servants, and enough money to make Trump seem like a pauper. And not that's he didn't seem genuinely interested in her. But on the other hand it was wicked strange the way they'd met, far too coincidental.

Faith forced her attention back on the dress. Deciding that they were all way too frilly or showy for her, she made her way out of the store and headed to one of the mall's restaurants. She missed a step as she noted a short but powerfully-built man with a receding hairline and olive skin in the reflection of a near-by window. "Damn press," Faith clenched a fist. If the asshole got in her face, she'd kick his damn ass, and to hell with the resulting law-suit.

Entering the old-fashioned Oriental restaurant, Faith forced a polite smile as all conversation stopped and all eyes turned to her. It was a reaction she'd long since gotten used to in clubs and the like, but not exactly for these reasons. Ignoring the looks, she glanced towards the traditionally attired waiter by the door. "Table for one."

"Of course, Ms. Way-."

"Lehane," she stiffly interrupted. Right now, with everyone looking at her like that, she wanted nothing less than to be associated with that name.

"Yes ma'am." The waiter jumped at her correction, but rallied quickly, his face growing impassive as he led her to a thankfully-secluded table towards the restaurant's rear. Once she'd sat, the man passed her a laminated menu. "Someone will be with you in a moment to take your order."

Faith nodded an acknowledgement. "Thanks." After a couple of minutes, she noticed her tail walk in and take a table on the next row, four tables in front of her. Faith swallowed her temper with another look at the elaborately-written menu, the English translation underneath the Chinese. Sensing the waiter's approach she looked up. "I'll have the Chicken Chow Mein and Egg Fried Rice, thanks."

The waiter bobbed his head. "At once, Ms. Wayne."

"Thanks," Faith muttered, unable to be bothered to correct him.

Her mood picked up slightly with the meal's arrival, its succulent scent filling her nostrils. Her eyes narrowed as she picked up her chopsticks and noted the reporter heading towards it. "Forget it," she warned with a shake of the head. "If I speak to the press, it'll -. Shit!" She gasped as she ducked under a roundhouse kick to the head, her face pressing against the table's cloth as she snapped off a side-kick at her rival's left knee, forcing the man back .

"You really want this interview don't ya?" Faith wise-cracked as she back-flipped out of her seat and landed in a crouch on the table behind, knocking plates flying, the table's customers letting out shocked shrieks. "Sorry 'bout dinner, folks." The man spun to face her, a shocked flicker quickly concealed behind a stony mask. Faith launched herself into the air, somersaulting over the man and landing a back-heel kick to his shoulder-blades.

At least that was the theory, but the man wriggled eel-like away from her attack and shot out a spin-kick that she was forced to duck under before spinning around and leaping into close-quarters. The man's fist came up in a hook that she blocked on her left forearm while shooting out a right cross to the face her adversary leaned away from.

A manic laugh bubbled out from her as she realised just how good her opponent was. "Someone to beat my frustrations out on," Faith muttered as she sidestepped a leaping thrust-kick, hooked her arm around her rival's waist, twisted to the right, and threw him onto and through the nearest table.

The table exploded with the collision's impact, the man hitting the ground and backwards-rolling through the debris and onto his feet. Faith's eyes narrowed as she lunged at the man, noting his hastily drawn daggers.

The left knife slashed left to right at her throat, but Faith was ready for it, karate-chopping the man's wrist and scooping up the dropped knife in the same smooth motion. The man's eyes widened, gaze momentarily dropping to her recently-acquired knife, and then he was back-hand slashing at her face with his other knife.

Faith ghosted under the slash while thrusting at her rival's belly with her own blade. The assassin crescent-kicked her in her knife-wrist, knocking her attack off-target.

Then the assassin lunged back in, his dagger leading the way.

Rather than backing away, Faith leapt to meet him, writhing away from the thrust at her chest and hooking a fist into the assassin's jaw. Blood spewed from the would-be killer's mouth as his head snapped to the side, his legs almost buckling beneath him. His glazed eyes growing desperate, the assassin's dagger slashed left and right as he attempted to keep her back. Faith feinted a head-bob to the right, the moment the assassin's shoulders bunched, his eyes turning in that direction, she made for the left, only to jump back when the killer twisted back to meet her, his knife lashing at her.

Noting that the assassin had hyper-extended himself, Faith sprang into action the moment the dagger was past her, leaping into her rival, hands hooking behind his head and pulling his face down onto her rising knee. Blood burst from the killer's face as his bone crunched under attack, the man falling onto his back.

Faith's eyes widened as she leapt over the man's attempted kick. Damn, he was tough as well as good. Even as she landed, she grabbed the man's ankle, twisted his leg around the back of her leg and pulled it tight. The man screamed as his knee popped out of the joint, Faith leaning over him to punch him square in the forehead, his head bouncing off the floor and eyes slamming shut.

Faith grinned as the restaurant's remaining patrons broke the hushed silence with a round of awed applause. Maybe the court of public opinion was kinda changin' in her direction. "Someone call the police, stat."

* * *

"Huh, hey Bruce it's me."

"Hello Faith," Bruce sighed inwardly at his daughter's husky voice. It was always a delight to hear from her, but he just wished she'd call him 'dad' once in a while. "I'm sorry about all the press-."

"Yeah, whatever," the brunette impatiently interrupted. "I've just had an assassin try and kill me, some guy by the name of Constantine Drakon-."

"What?" he growled, an icy finger darting up and down his spine as he recognised the name of one of Green Arrow's enemies. "Are you-."

"I'm five by five, I just thought I should ring 'fore the press got hold of this and you were worried," Faith replied. "Look I gotta go, I've tried Xander once already but he was engaged-."

"Of course, thanks for ringing." The moment he hung, he rose and started towards his study's secret elevator. He was going to find out who'd sent an assassin after his daughter and he was going to make them pay. Then he smiled grimly, pride surging through him as the assassin's name registered with him again. His daughter capable of taking down one of the world's great assassins.

* * *

An Unknown Location

Ra's al Ghul stared at the newspaper accounts of Drakon's defeat, eyes narrowing. Drakon wasn't a meta-human, but his skills were pretty much peak human. That left two alternatives, either Wayne had secretly been aware of his daughter for years and had trained her with the same ferocity he'd trained his wards or she was some sort of meta herself.

Ghul pursed his lips as he considered the options. A man with Wayne's high-profile being able to hide a daughter for years from the likes of him was unlikely, although it wasn't as if the billionaire didn't have experience hiding secrets.

Of course, Ghul smiled as a piece of the puzzle dropped in place. Given Wayne's protective and private nature he wouldn't willingly reveal his daughter's identity, unless he was already confident she could defend herself.

So a meta-human.

The next question for him to answer was of what sort, the origin and level of her powers, and what possible weaknesses. This would require some thought before he decided how to act. And while he was considering that, he'd have to check just how insulated he was from Drakon's contract. He wasn't worried about the police tracking him down, but a vengeful Bat was a concern.

Yes, he had to plenty to do.


	9. Chapter 9

**Faith ****Wayne**** (9/?)**

Faith grinned as she arrived home and ran right into a hug off Xander. "Hey stud, easy on the ribs."

"Oh sorry," Xander practically dropped her. "Are you-."

Eyes laughing, Faith gently punched Xander on the arm. "I said loosen up, not drop me. I'm five by five, stud."

"Do you know who hired him?"

"I don't know hon." Faith grimaced at the question. The wanna-be assassin had remained remarkably close-mouthed about his hiring despite certain growls she'd made. Not that she could exactly go full-bore at him, not with all the witnesses around her. "It's not like I have a shortage of enemies."

Xander ruffled her hair and smirked. "You do have a knack of collecting them." Faith laughed as she flipped her boyfriend the bird and melted into his arms, but even as she did so, her mind was whirling over who just could be behind the attack. The Cult of Antemorth perhaps, but it didn't make sense that Kakistos' followers would send a human after her. She'd decimated several Tarakan cells, so they had a grudge, but as good as Drakon was, they had better. Perhaps it was a random follower of the Mayor, but they tended to want vengeance personally, 'sides, she thought she'd killed the last off years ago. The two best possibilities were W&H, they still held a particular grudge against her for her refusing to kill Angel and going to his aid during the fall of the Black Thorn, and the Shadow Council, who'd made runs at all the major New Council players and 'cause of their beliefs never used demon assassins. Course she was probably forgetting someone.

Yeah, no shortage of enemies.

* * *

JLA HQ, Moon

Still frazzled from Faith's news, Batman was hardly in the best of moods to be called to an emergency meeting of the JLA, so it was doubly unfortunate that the first face he saw upon entering the meeting room was Guy Gardner.

"Hey Bats! Have you ever seen Wayne's daughter on your patrols? Man is she the bomb!" Batman turned to face the ever-belligerent Green Lantern. "Not too difficult to get in her pants if the papers are right 'bout her either!" Guy leered at him. "I'm gonna have to use the super-hero card on her, see if she wants to ride the Green Lantern Express-, ugh!"

Batman's gloved fist slammed into Guy Gardner's jaw, snapping his head to the side and laying the Green Lantern on his back, eyes closed into unconsciousness. Batman turned to face a jaw-open Martian Manhunter. "When he wakes up, tell him if he brings up my daughter again, I'll end the conversation by using his ring as a butt plug."

J'onn J'onzz raised an eyebrow. "To be fair, Guy couldn't have any idea he was talking about your daughter."

Batman glanced down at the motionless Green Lantern before looking towards the alien, unwilling to admit his friend had a point. "Then he should consider this an object lesson in how not to talk about women."

Martian Manhunter stared down at the chauvinist's unconscious body. "Oh I'm sure he will." The Martian looked towards him, gaze probing. "And what sort of meta is your daughter?"

"Have you been reading my mind?" Batman stared cold-eyed at his friend.

J'onn smiled. "I doubt your right cross will work as well on me as it did Guy," the Martian shook his head. "No I didn't read your mind, I hardly needed to. Drakon is a considerable assassin, it seems unlikely that an untrained young woman would survive much less best him."

Batman smiled thinly. Good old J'onn, as astute as always. "Those are my daughter's secrets," he evaded. "But you're right, she is a Meta."

J'onn nodded, a thin smile pulling at his mouth. "Perhaps you'll be recommending her for JLA membership?" Something twinkled in his friend's eyes. "I know Guy would be pleased."

"Ha, ha." Batman half-scowled at his friend, although the thought of an enraged Faith feeding a hapless Guy his ring somewhat dampened his rage. "From what I understand Faith has her own Calling, a Calling she doesn't even know I know about."

"Sounds complicated," J'onn commented.

"Oooh."

"You have no idea." Batman glanced towards a wakening Guy. Batman reached down, grabbed one of Guy's gloved hands and unceremonially yanked him to his feet.

"Hey," Guy blustered, his glazed eyes struggling to focus, "what the hell did you hit me for?"

"Because you're an obnoxious ass with no respect for women," Batman growled.

"Hey," Guy leered, "I respect women plenty, especially ones with curves like that."

Batman glared at Guy. "You don't learn do you? Keep that crude mouth shut or I'll shut it for you."

"Ah," the meeting hall's metal doors slid open and Superman strode in, "making friends as always Guy."

Batman turned back towards the door. "Given Guy's presence, there better be a really good reason for gathering us all here, Superman."

"There is," Wonder Woman followed Clark into the conference room, her face taut with tension, "we had best sit down." Batman joined the others in sitting, even as the rest of the JLA entered, the emerald archer and his paramour, Zatanna, Flash, and Firestorm following behind.

Then came their guests, the helmeted Dr. Fate, his orange cape flapping behind him, and Jason Blood standing at his shoulder, a foreboding expression on his face. Once the two had sat, Dr. Fate spoke. "I've consulted with a number of my contacts in the supernatural world – Madame Xanadu, John Constantine, and others-."

"I assume others include The Phantom Stranger?" Batman interrupted.

"No," he was surprised when the helmeted super-hero shook his head. "I've tried to get in touch with him, but no matter what summonsing ritual I use, he doesn't appear."

Batman raised an eyebrow. That was slightly worrying, but not necessarily indicative of anything. "And what of you been consulting about?" Superman queried.

Fate glanced towards the Kryptonian. "We in the supernatural community have all noticed signs and portents that suggest something dark is on its way."

"Something dark?" Wonder Woman put in. "That's a little non-specific."

"I have in my possession a book called 'The Heavenly Schism'," Fate replied, the room somehow chilling at the book's mention. "It has been carbon-dated as being millions of years old, pre-dating the earliest dinosaur by tens of thousands of years. The book's writer is unknown, but it seems he was a man driven mad by the war between God and Satan. In his insanity, the man became prophetic and made several predictions of a time when 'the world shall once more quake before the hordes'."

"Sounds ominous," Superman commented.

"Yeah, but last time they were here we didn't have metas," Guy commented. "Besides we don't know if these prophecies are true. Or if the book's even legitimate."

"The book's legitimately that old," Fate replied. "As for its content, I sense the writer believed what he was writing, whether he was correct is another matter, however several of his predictions have come true."

"Such as?" challenged Green Arrow.

"'The long-dead fires shall spark once more', three volcanoes that have been dormant for centuries in India, Venezuela, and Turkey have all erupted in the last month -."

"I was at the Turkey and Venezuela eruptions," Superman shook his head. "A bad business."

"'The quiet land shall shake before the giants' footsteps'," Fate said. "England's not known for its major earthquakes, but in the past month, both London and Manchester have fallen victim to quakes that were high sixes on the Richter Scale." Fate paused. "Then there's this 'fires from the sky will ignite the Marvellous City'."

"The meteorite storm that hit Rio?" Batman said before glancing at Superman, Wonder Woman, and the Martian Manhunter, those three in tandem with a number of the other most powerful heroes had been called into action to combat a rain of meteorites on the Brazilian city just the other week.

"Yes," Fate nodded, "all these predictions relating to places not even in existence when they were made. And they're coming true." Fate paused. "Did everyone see the light show over Israel on the news last night?" Everyone nodded. "'Just before the beginning of the end, Jehovah's land shall see false, blazing hope.'"

"That's depressingly accurate," Batman heard Black Canary's mutter. The dyed blonde looked towards the Order Lord. "I don't suppose we could have a copy of this book to study?"

Fate nodded. "I uploaded a translation to your email accounts."

Superman looked towards Jason. "And what of demons? What's their general mood?"

The occult investigator grimaced. "Scared yet anticipatory."

Superman sighed. "Okay, it seems we need to prepare for this threat, but the major problem is we don't know exactly what exactly the threat is. J'onn, Guy, I want the two of you checking there's no alien compartment to this threat. Fate, Diana, Jason, check out the supernatural angle, consult with whoever you see fit. Arrow, Batman, try and find out if there's a more mundane threat, either from a super-criminal or a despot or terrorist starting an ill-advised war."

* * *

Platinum Flats, California

"Come in."

Bruce, now in his normal suit, hesitated as the door clicked open, as reluctant as always to confront the guilt of one of his failures in the flame-maned form of one of his closest friends. Then he stepped forward, grabbed and pulled the door open, and slipped inside. He eschewed the hallway's gleaming elevator doors in favour of running up the dozen steps. Once he'd reached the door at the top of the landing, he knocked on it.

"Come in."

Bruce forced a smile as he walked into the computer-filled office, confronted by the wheelchaired woman who'd been one of the Joker's victims he'd failed to save. "Barbara, it's good to see you."

The former Batgirl smiled at him. "And you, Bruce. How can I help you?"

"JLA and personal business," he replied. "First of all, have you any information on any despot or terrorist stockpiling chemical, biological, nuclear, or meta-gene weapons?"

Barbara turned to the computer and tapped at the keyboard. "Nothing according to Checkmate or Interpol."

"And what about funds being moved around by the despots and terrorists?" Batman queried.

"The same," Barbara shook her head.

"Okay, thanks," Bruce grimaced. He hadn't really expected to hit paydirt with his first attempt, but he was nothing if not thorough.

"And what was your personal business?" Barbara queried, interest gleaming in her blue eyes. "Was it something to do with Faith? What is she like?"

Bruce allowed himself a slight smile, a rare warmth cloaking his heart. "She's smart-mouthed, flippant, hot-tempered, and wary, but you sense beneath all that there's a gutsy fighter whose loyalty to those she believes in never falters."

"Sounds like you're proud of her," Barbara commented.

Bruce smiled. "I'm proud of who I think she is."

"You're not often wrong in your assessments of people," Barbara commented before handing a slim folder. "That's all I could find on Slayers. It's not a lot and a lot of its taken off conspiracy websites and the like, so it's of questionable origin, but in each case I noted where I got the information off. However there's also information from Checkmate, DEO, Hayoth, International Operations, and a few other more informed sources."

"Thanks," Bruce glanced down at the folder, barely able to contain the eagerness to tear through the folder and perhaps gain a better understanding of his daughter, "what's in here?"

"Nothing but supposition on the creation of the Slayer Line , some on the history and structure of the Watchers Council, a lot on the actual powers of a Slayer, their traditional enemies, and a few biographies of the most historically significant Slayers, including Faith. There's one major thing, there's not one Slayer, not anymore." Barbara paused. "Of May 03, there's just over a thousand Slayers throughout the world."

"Thank you,"Bruce nodded. "And the assassin, any news on who hired Drakon?"

"No," Barbara shook her head, "but if I was to make a guess, I'd say it was someone unaware of Faith's abilities." Bruce raised an eyebrow. "Drakon is a supremely skilled human but no match for Faith. Anyone who would have knowledge of just what she was would have sent a meta, a demon, or a vampire, rather than a mere, although exceptionally skilled human."

"So it's an enemy of mine?" Wayne felt a stab of guilt. Once again it came back to him.

* * *

Unknown Location

The coffin-sized device had cost him a considerable amount of his fortune, but then it was an uniquely one of a kind invention created to entrap and hold an one of a kind being. In addition to having a field that nullified magic, it also had a chrono-meter that ensured the being inside was shifting constantly through time so not to allow him to teleport through time, and a constantly varying energy field to prevent its prisoner from teleporting through the matter.

Yes, Lex Luthor smiled inwardly, it was massively expensive, but as yet he didn't dare kill the Phantom Stranger in case it brought attention to him he wasn't yet ready for, but imprison him, he could dare to do that.

* * *

Santa Prisca

"The Bat has a daughter?" A low rumble built up in his chest. "What a pretty, delicate little thing, I wonder how he'll feel when I break her back?"


	10. Chapter 10

**FIC: Faith ****Wayne**** (10/?)**

Faith strolled through the darkened alleyway, the rubbish dropped there whistling in the wind. Xander was in the shadows to her right, Claudia and Bella, two of the more troublesome recruits who'd been passed off to them by other Slayer Academies, to their rear. Faith stopped as the hairs on the back of her neck prickled. "Trouble Faith?" Xander whispered.

"I'm not sure-," Faith gaze snapped up when she heard somethin' dropping out of the sky just ahead of them. "What the fuck!" she gasped as she saw Batman dropping out of the night sky, his dark cape billowing around him. If nothing else, the asshole knew how to make an impact.

"Geez," Faith rallied quickly as she snarked as the Dark Knight landed on one knee just in front of her, "I'm just Bats about your entrance." Faith looked over her shoulder at the two trainees behind her and winked. "See what I did there? Bats? I'm practically Bill Hicks."

"More like Carrot-Top," Xander muttered.

Faith glared at her boy-friend. "Guess ain't gettin' any tonight!"

Xander stepped out of the shadows and looked towards Batman. "Hello sir-."

"Brown-noser," Faith muttered.

Xander shot her a look before looking back towards Gotham City's Dark Knight. "Hello sir, it's good to see you again." Faith smiled innocently as Xander spun to face her, instantly ending the kissing noises she'd been making. Xander sighed and turned back to Batman. "Is there anything we can help you with, a demon that needs Slaying?"

"Nothing like that," the super-hero shook his head, face inscrutable behind the dark cowl. "We at the JLA believe there's some evidence that something's very bad is coming. There's a possibility it might be something supernatural, so I thought you might have sources that could shine some light on what we might be facing."

"Oh sure-."

"We've got sources," Faith interrupted before Xander could continue gushing. "But you're bein' kinda vague here Bats. Wanna fill in a few spaces so we know what to look for?"

"The threat's possibly world-ending," Bruce replied. "Ask your sources to look into 'The Heavenly Schism'," the Batman informed. "Thanks for your assistance, I'll be in touch." Batman pulled out a grapple-gun, pointed it up, and fired a hook up at the roof of a near-by building and shot off into the air.

"Showy exit," Faith commented before leaping up, landing on the railing of a three-storey high near-by fire escape. After a half-second spent balancing herself, she powered through her legs, and leapt up three further flights of steps in a single bound. The wind rushed through her locks as she grabbed the edge of the roof that the Batman had flown up to and pulled herself up with an effortless flex of her arm and shoulder. Landing on the building's flat roof, she peered over and smirked down to her friends underneath. "Look no grapple hook!"

* * *

Xander groaned as he lowered himself into his chair, feet throbbing from all the miles they'd patrolled. "Ah," Faith cooed as she perched on the edge of his desk, mockery glinting in her dark eyes, "is my baby tired? Does my baby need some TLC?"

"More than you'd ever know," Xander grinned at his girl-friend. "But I have to ring Giles about what the Batman wanted."

"Bats before me," Faith rolled her eyes and pouted, more or less playfully, "why am I not surprised?"

"It's not like that," he protested. So he was a Batman fanboy, guilty, but that wasn't the point. "The Batman has alerted us to a possible Armageddon and I'd bet he's not often wrong about these things."

"'Kay," Faith leapt up. "I'll be in the bedroom, but don't take any longer than half an hour. Otherwise you're sleepin' on the couch." Faith winked at him as she retreated to the door. "See ya."

"Later," Xander picked up the phone and started dialling Giles' number.

The Englishman picked up on the eighth ring. "I trust you realise it's four in the morning?" the Council head mumbled, his voice thick with sleep.

"Yeah, but I had a run-in with Bat-Man-."

"Oh really?" Giles interrupted, interest replacing drowsiness in his voice. "And is there any truth to the theories he might be a demon?"

"Um, Faith and the others didn't sense anything," he replied, a little thrown by the unexpected question. "He wanted our assistance."

"Oh really?" Giles sounded really interested now. "How flattering?"

"Yeah," Xander nodded. "It was more research really-."

"And you naturally thought of me, now who's flattered?" Giles chuckled.

"Yeah, apparently the JLA have found a book called 'The Heavenly Schism' which they think has information to do with a possible apocalypse," Xander said. "They'd appreciate it if you could find out anything you know about this book."

"They know about the Council?" queried Giles, his tone very sharp.

"Not exactly," Xander replied. "But Batman's got a reputation for being smart, he probably figured out there's an organisation behind us."

"I've got those texts Wesley smuggled out of LA, before well before that nasty business with The Circle Of Black Thorn, I'll do some work with those." Giles paused for a second. "How is Faith reacting to the revelation about her parentage?"

"She's a little shell-shocked to be honest," Xander replied. "But you know Faith."

"Indeed I do," Giles paused again. "I trust she hasn't let anything slip about our organisation or her powers to her new-found father in an effort to impress him?"

"I thought you said you knew her?" Xander's tone chilled. "I'll be in touch in a couple of days to see if you've been able to find anything out. Thanks." Before Giles had chance to reply, Xander had hung up. He sat there for a few minutes, smouldering in his anger. Years passed, but still Faith was considered on the outs, somehow unworthy, and given the mistakes that each of them had been made that hardly seemed fair.

He smiled softly. Well except by him, he blessed every day she thought him worthy to be her partner.

* * *

Lightning flashed in the sky, slicing through the thick clouds overhead the looming turrets of the grey-stoned castle. Inside the dimly lit castle sat a sharp-featured man with piercing emerald eyes flanking his hooked nose and grey hair with white streaks on each side. "So Lehane is a Meta," the man shook his head, eyes burning with fury. "My first attempt might have failed, but it doesn't matter, she can't stand in my way!"

"Whoa!" Faith sat bolt upright in bed, the man beside her barely stirring between snores. According to her Slayer Dream she had a new enemy, one she hadn't even freakin' met. "My life really, really sucks!"

* * *

"Hey."

"Hello," Bruce rose as his daughter strode up to his table and beat the waiter to her chair, pulling it out for her. She was only wearing a knee-length grey skirt and a short-sleeved white blouse, but despite the simplicity of her attire, as always her beauty blew him away. "I trust you're well."

"Geez," Faith flashed him a luminous smile, "I only saw you two days ago."

"It doesn't hurt to ask," Bruce rejoined as he sat down opposite his daughter.

"Yeah," Faith's brow furrowed as she picked up and stared at the menu before looking back up at him, a rare look of awkwardness on her face. "Um, you gonna have to help me out. Normally when me and X go out, it ain't as fancy as all this."

"How about I order for the both of us?" Bruce suggested. Faith nodded. "You're not a vegetarian or anything?"

"Hell no," Faith replied.

"That makes it simpler," Bruce looked towards the hovering waiter, "we'll start with French onion soup, then garden chicken supreme with rice, and chocolate crème brulee." Bruce looked towards his daughter. "If that's alright with you?"

"Sounds good to me," Faith shrugged. "I'll have a soda water with mine."

"I'll have the same," Bruce added.

"Of course Mr. Wayne," the waiter bobbed his head before backing off.

"So I was gonna ask you somethin'." Bruce nodded encouragingly at his daughter. "You ever met the Bat?"

"The Bat?" Bruce hid a smile at his daughter's innocently asked question. "He's rescued me from a few tight situations in the past."

"Oh yeah?" Interest gleamed in the Slayer's dark eyes. "Such as?"

"The Joker decided to crash a charity gala that we were all at-."

"Just like the one we were at the other night?" Faith snorted. "Thanks pops."

Bruce allowed himself a half smile. "Living in Gotham can be a perilous experience. Anyway, the Joker had decided to release a toxin that would render Gotham's rich and powerful insane-."

"That 'xplains a lot," Faith's eyes danced with amusement.

Bruce fixed his daughter with a mock glare. "Batman stopped him."

"Yeaaaaaah." Faith smirked back at him. "Says you."

Bruce was about to retort when the soups arrived. "Thank you." Bruce nodded at the waiter before looking towards his companion. "Xander appears a nice young man, but a little under-qualified for his position as principal of a private academy."

Defensiveness flared in his daughter's eyes, but her answer was civil enough. "Xan ain't a principal in the usual sorta way, not academic, he more runs the place, he's an administrator. He's not a qualification kinda guy, but he's got wicked people skills." Faith took a sip of her soup. "Nice." She took another sip before continuing. "Any of the pupils got problems, they can talk to Xander, he doesn't always have the answers, but he always can get 'em to open up and knows what to say to make them feel better. When it comes to getting money off contributors, no one's smoother, and he always makes the families of the kids feel good when he's explaining our place to them. And he's wicked good at running the school."

Bruce smiled slightly at his girl's spirited defence of her man. If nothing else she was loyal. "The school seemed very well run. And what about you? How did you get a job as a PT instructor?"

"What?" Faith grinned at him, suddenly relaxed again. "You sayin' I have a spare tyre?"

"I wouldn't dare," Bruce smiled back at his daughter, "but there's more to being a PT instructor than just being in shape."

"Yeah," Faith nodded. "I did some courses while in prison – first aid, nutrition, anatomy, that sorta thing."

"Was it a career that always interested you?" Bruce queried.

"I kinda wanted to be a female UFC fighter." Faith's grin widened. "'Til I realised my only option would be mud-wrestling." Bruce almost choked on his last spoonful of soup. "But yeah, I really dig bein' fit and all that. Plus I'm wicked competitive, always got energy to burn."

Bruce saw their waiter approaching with their main course out of the corner of his eye. "Gotham could always do with another gym. I've got the funds to set you up if you're interested?"

Faith half-smiled. "I ain't got my gym management qualifications, just the stuff you need to instruct."

"I could pay for you to do the classes," he offered.

Faith shook her head. "Thanks but I like my job and the people I work with."

"As you wish." Bruce nodded, mollified by the sincerity in his daughter's voice. She might be lying about her actual job, but she was truly content doing what she did. For a few minutes they silently ate, then Bruce summonsed his courage to speak. "Faith, my other ward, Dick Grayson, and friend, Barbara Gordon, are in town at the weekend, they'd be most interested in meeting you, perhaps at dinner on Saturday?"

Faith's eyes instantly took on a hunted look, almost as if she expected to be judged unworthy. Then she nodded, a shield dropping over her eyes. "Sure, Xan can come right?"

"Of course," Bruce nodded, recognising his daughter's need for support from someone she really trusted. "I expected you to bring him."

Faith smiled slightly. "Thanks."

"No problem," Bruce replied. "What are you doing for the rest of the day?"

Faith shrugged. "Do some shoppin' I guess." The Slayer's nose wrinkled up. "I was never keen on it as a kid, I never had much money, or the inclination to be honest. But now I got my own sugar-daddy," Faith winked at his choked gasp, "might as well get some stuff."

"Anything in particular?" he queried.

"Some stuff for the gym, a new widescreen TV for the common room," Faith replied.

"Nothing for yourself?" Bruce queried.

Faith reddened. "Maybe a wicked new sound system and some CDs."

"Oh, what sort of music are you into?" Bruce queried.

"Limp Bizkit, Blink 192, Linkin Park, Kid Rock," Faith stopped and looked at his moan. "What?"

* * *

Faith stared around the brightly illuminated electronic store, more than a little bemused by the staggering array of equipment. "Hi," in an instant, a leering beanpole of a shop assistant was by her side in an instant. "How can I help you?"

* * *

"How was lunch, sir?"

Bruce smiled as he strode through his mansion's front door. "It was eventful."

"And Ms. Lehane, she was in good health?"

"Fine, thank you," Bruce nodded.

"Will we be seeing her on Saturday?" Alfred queried. His friend smiled at his look. "I admit to enjoying the effect she has on you, I don't think anyone makes you smile quite as much as she does."

"Having a super-powered, fully-grown daughter takes a lot of adjusting. Especially when she's -." Bruce's brow furrowed as his cell began ringing. "I'll have to take this, Alfred."

"Of course, sir."

Alfred moved on as Bruce reached into his jacket and pulled his cell out. His brow furrowed as he read but failed to recognise the number on his cell. "Hello, Bruce Wayne?"

"I'm watching her right now, Bruce, she's the prettiest thing I ever saw."

Bruce felt a cold hand that grasped and twisted at his heart as he recognised the deep voice. His stomach hollowed reminiscent of the way he felt when he'd seen Barbara and Jason's pulverised bodies or when he'd witnessed Clark's death at the hands of Doomsday. "You touch her and I'll-."

"Touch her?" Bane let out a roaring laugh. "I'm going to break her, shatter her spine just like I did yours, tinkle it like glass. Come quickly Bruce, I want you to be the first to see my handiwork."


	11. Chapter 11

**FIC: Faith ****Wayne**** (11/?)**

"Sir?" Alfred hurried to intercept his employer as Bruce charged towards the secret passage in his study. "I heard shouting?"

"Bane's targeted Faith." Alfred inwardly recoiled at the blazing fury in his employer's eyes. "You've got her celluar number?" Alfred nodded. "Try ringing her and patch her GPS signature into the Batmobile."

"Of course sir," Alfred hesitated. "You realise Bane knows your identity and could reveal it-."

"I haven't time to worry about that now!"

"Of course sir, Faith's well-being must be your priority," Alfred agreed. He on the other hand could assist by getting Oracle to delete the store's CCTV to hide any spilt secrets.

* * *

Faith's head began to throb as the eager to impress her shop assistant rattled on about technical specifications. Damn, she'd never thought anyone could make good music sound so boring!

"Hold on," Faith turned away from the shop assistant, her skin crawling instinctively. Something bad was coming. It was the middle of the day, but nevertheless something bad was coming. Faith decided it was probably a human criminal as she edged towards the shop's entrance.

"Oh shit." Faith reared back as a hulking seven foot tall, grotesquely-muscled man appeared in the doorway, his face hidden under a black and white mask, and his massively-muscled body enclothed in a singlet and black leather pants.

"Hello Faith," the instantly recognisable Bane rumbled, "I thought it time I introduce myself to Gotham's latest celebrity."

"Yeah," Faith swallowed as she peered up at the notorious super-villain, "but I don't do autographs, sorry."

"I'll have to take my disappointment out on you!" Faith ducked under a downward aimed right only to catch a left hook to the jaw that snapped her head around and flung her into a stack of CDs, CDs flying everywhere as she flew through them and into a table filled with laptops, tipping the table and laptops to the ground.

"Jesus," Faith spat out blood as she shook her head clear. Kakistos, no screw that, the freakin' Beast didn't hit as hard as Bane. This was gonna be a hell of a fun day. Faith kipped up and glared at the crook. "You know, not that the attention isn't flattering," Faith moved into a practiced boxing stance, "but why me?"

"Oh this isn't about you," Bane chuckled. "You're a gift for an old friend."

"Oh how sweet." Faith darted in, gliding inside a right and under a hook before driving an elbow into the giant's left side above his hip. "Couldn't you have sent flowers instead?" The behemoth grunted but shot out a hand to grab her throat.

Faith's hand shot out to grab a sausage-sized finger and yank it back, but before it could snap, the man's other spade-sized hand slapped into the side of her face. "Shit," Faith stumbled to her left, her ear ringing as she ducked under another left, grabbed the straps of the giant's singlet and attempted a judo throw that sent him stumbling into a hi-fi stand.

"You're more fun than I ever imagined."

"Flattery now?" Faith leapt up into the air and planted her heels square into the giant's vault-sized chest. Bane stumbled backward, but Faith's eyes widened as he grabbed hold of her right ankle and flung her across the store. Faith grimaced with effort as she twisted in mid-air and hit one of the store's sturdily stone pillars feet-first. The impact shuddered through her legs, but Faith used it to reverse her momentum, curl into a ball, and fly back and over Bane's head.

At least that was the plan until Bane reached up, grabbed, and flung her into the shop counter. "Fuck!" Faith grunted as she hit the counter, skidded across it, and crashed to the ground, the wind driven out of her as she rolled back up. So power wasn't going to do it, Bane was way stronger than she was, and at least as durable. Speed wasn't the answer either, she was faster than Bane, but not that much faster to offset his other advantages.

Which left her options limited.

"You're not a mere human are you? What are you?" rumbled the advancing giant.

Faith ignored the shrieking costumers and store employees stampeding out of the shop to focus on the freakishly-built behemoth, grab a hold of the counter, and one hand vault over it. "Just call me your worst nightmare," she blustered.

Bane smiled. "We'll see." Bane raced in with uncanny speed for a man of his size. Faith leaned back at the waist, his first fist pummelling the air just above her face. Then she grabbed a hold of the man's huge wrist, both her hands together barely encircling the thickly muscled wrist, and twisted at the waist.

Her eyes widened when rather than be thrown, Bane just set his feet and reversed her pull. "Oh crap." Physics and the fact Bane outweighed her by more than three times came into play, pitching her into the air.

Faith twisted in mid-air, until she was upside-down, her legs pulling up into her torso and then powering up to crash feet-first into Bane's jaw, the kick staggering the massive muscleman, knocking him into a display stacked with microwaves. Faith reached behind and under her for the floor, then the moment her fingers touched the shop's fluffy carpet, she powered through them and landed into a fighter's crouch.

Bane let out a growl as he palmed and flung a microwave at her. The moment Faith glanced towards the airborne microwave, Bane leapt at her. Faith dropped into a ball and rolled under the giant's charge. The moment she came up on the other side of him, she back-heel kicked him in his hamstring. Bane stumbled and half-fell into a stand filled with computer games, games and the stand crashing to the ground.

Faith leapt onto the giant's aircraft carrier-sized back, her arm wrapping around her rival's trunk-like neck in a rear triangle choke on the basis even gargantuans needed air. "Oh not good!" Faith's eyes widened when the giant snatched hold of her forearm, effortlessly broke her grip and flung him over his head and at the far wall.

Faith stuck out her left hand and pushed off the approaching wall, hand-springing into a round-house kick to her rival's face, blood flying from beneath his mask. "Ha," Bane staggered his hand going up to his face then dropping away, "you've got his spirit and no mistake."

"Yeah," Faith concealed her confusion regarding the criminal's comment behind an arched eyebrow, "I try." Faith sprang back at the giant, aiming for a dropkick to his right knee. "Owww!" Faith's face exploded like a grenade had gone off against it when Bane caught her with a backhand that sent her spinning to the ground.

Faith kipped up into a punch to the gut that sent her reeling away, lungs heaving as she struggled for air. Her teeth jangled with the impact of another punch to the back of her head. Faith saw another punch upper-cutting up at her bent-over face and grabbed the man's forearm with both her hands, holding it steady while she drove a knee into his gut.

"Still fighting?" Bane laughed as he drove his other fist into the back of her head. "Most commendable." Faith's legs buckled under another blow, sending her to the knees. "I expected to just get my revenge." Faith felt a rib crack under a kick to her stomach, the blow impacting with enough force to lift her from the floor, and fling her into a hi-fi display stand. "But to get a fight as well." Sensing the criminal bending over her, Faith drove her elbow up and into his mask. "Ahhh!" Bane's head snapped back, but then his foot crashed into her ribs again, cracking a second. Then again, snapping another. Faith wheezed and gasped for air as Bane grabbed her hair and repeatedly drove her face into the floor until her blood smeared the carpet.

Then the super-villain grabbed her around the back of her neck and her ass, lifting her barely writhing body over his head. "The sins of the father shall be visited upon the daughter."

* * *

Batman's vision crimsoned as he burst through the wrecked store's entrance to find Bane holding his daughter's limp body over his head in much the same position he'd held him before shattering his spine. "Like hell." He flung a hastily drawn bola at the super-villain's legs, the rope wrapping around the thickly-muscled limbs, the weighted balls on either end pulling it tight as he leapt in with a leaping dropkick to his nemesis' lower back.

Bane's lower limbs flexed around the bola, snapping the rope. But that was okay, he'd been half-expecting that, it was just a distraction to allow him to catch the giant with his double-heeled stomp to the back. Bane stumbled, Faith dropping limply to the ground.

Bane let out a roaring laugh as he swung a backhand that Batman ducked under before grabbing the girder-thick forearm and pulling the criminal towards him and into a toe-kick to the belly. Bane caught him with a left to the side of the head that snapped his head to the side but he barely noticed in his rage.

"You'll!" His elbow smashed into the middle of Bane's mask. "Never!" His uppercut caught the man in his jaw. "Touch!" His knee buried into the criminal's stomach. "Her!" His karate chop bounced off the giant's massive neck. "Again!" He stomped on the man-mountain's right instep.

Bane responded to his attack with a maniacal laugh, back-handing him across the face. He saw Bane's follow-up body shot, and slammed his left hand down to deflect it, but the blow still glanced off him with bruising impact while he simultaneously caught the super-villain with a right hook to the jaw. Seeing the crook's knee swinging up, he hooked an arm around his rival's leg and swept the giant's grounded leg away.

The moment Bane hit the ground, Batman leapt on him, coming down feet first on his adversary's massive chest. Bane's back arched with the terrible impact, but the moment Batman dropped to his knees and straddled his opponent, Bane reached up to grab him by his shoulders and flung him away.

Batman hit the floor on his shoulders and side-rolled up, leaping into a side-thrust kick to Bane's head that knocked the rising super-villain back on his ass. Before Bane could rise, Batman had his hands around his head and pulling him down into repeated knees to the face. As a move, it wasn't fancy, but it was effective, and soon yet more blood was seeping out from under the criminal's mask.

Suddenly disgusted by his berserker rage, Batman released his hold, and allowed the crook to slump limply to the floor. "Oh Bruce," Bane lifted his head away from him to look towards the struggling to her feet brunette, "I never dreamed you'd be so protective of your daughter."


	12. Chapter 12

**FIC: Faith ****Wayne**** (12/?)**

Faith stared at the Batman as she pulled herself to her feet. "He's nuts, right?" Faith shook her head as she forced a laugh, the world rushing around her, blood roaring through her ears.

"Oh Batman!" Bane laughed. "Your dear daughter doesn't-," Batman spun around and kicked the super-villain square in the jaw. His head snapped around, the super-villain crashing to the floor.

"Faith, I can-."

"Explain?" Faith shook her head and wiped the blood dripping down her face away as police officers rushed in. "Don't bother. In fact stay the hell away from me if you wanna make any more kids!"

Faith stumbled away from the scene. The mall that had seemed so warm and bright just minutes ago now felt filled the nightmares of her childhood – mockery, loneliness, and humiliation. Soon she was staggering down the street, the pain from Bane's beating nothing next to the hurt inside her.

She reared back when the Bat dropped out of the sky and landed in front of her. "Faith, you have to give me-."

The Batman reared back from her anger-fuelled haymaker. "Stay the fuck away from them!" she screamed. "You lied to me, you bastard, you used me to get an in into the Council!"

"No Faith," Batman shook his head as he tried to block her path, "everything I told you is true. You're my-."

Faith feinted stepping to the left and the moment the Batman followed her, she jammed an elbow into his flank where she'd seen Bane connect. Batman let out a groan, partially doubling up as she took the opportunity to step around him. "Unless you wanna see your unmasked face on the nine o'clock news, you stay the hell away from me from now on."

* * *

"Xander!" Freddy burst through into his office. "You need to turn your TV on, any station!"

"What?" Xander queried as reached into his desk drawer, pulled out his remote control, and turned the TV fixed on the wall opposite. "Oh no." He watched with mounting alarm as the news reported on Batman rescuing Faith from Bane. "I have to -." He scrabbled for his car keys.

"Just go!" Freddy encouraged.

Xander rushed downstairs, ignoring any calls for his attention. He'd just made it through into the lobby when the academy doors swung open, and Faith limped in.

Faith looked battered, her mouth swollen and several lumps on her face. But worse was the desolation and loss in her eyes. "Faith what's wrong?"

He made to hug his girl-friend, but she sidestepped. "I gotta go upstairs, I need a shower."

"But-." Xander forced his concern under control, recognising the signs. When Faith was in this sort of mood, you waited for her to come to you.

* * *

"Sir," Alfred rose as the Batmobile screeched into the Batcave, the costumed crime-fighter leaping out. "I see from the TV reports you were able to save Faith."

"Bane revealed my identity to Faith," Bruce's eyes were as bleak as he ever recalled seeing them. "She seems to believe I faked the DNA tests as a way to get close to the Council."

"Oh surely not!" Alfred shook his head.

Bruce smiled wearily as he pulled his cowl off. "She has a lot of trust issues, and the Batman has a reputation for elaborate manipulations."

"Perhaps you should talk to her-."

Bruce interrupted his suggestion with a shake of his head. "Faith told me if I went near her, she'd reveal my identity on the news. I don't think she's one for making idle threats."

"No sir," Alfred watched with concern as Bruce began to stride off, the shoulders of his normally ramrod straight employer slouched as if carrying the weight of the world upon them.

Batman sighed as he reached the secret elevator. "I'll give her a week or so to calm down, then try again."

"Most wise, sir."

* * *

Alfred waited more or less patiently outside the Academy's brooding walls. The door creaked open, revealing a girl in her mid-teens, one of the suspected Slayers. "Hello?" The brunette stared up suspiciously at him.

"Hello dear," Alfred tried his best smile, "I'm Alfred Pennyworth, an employee of Ms. Lehane's father, with a message from him."

The girl continued to stare suspiciously at him. "I don't know anything about a message."

"That's why I'm here to deliver it." Alfred peered down at the young girl and sniffed. "Now, if you don't mind?"

"Yeah." The girl sidestepped from the entrance allowing him to walk in. "I'll take you to her office."

"Thank you," Alfred followed the girl through the school's corridors, approvingly noting its welcoming air and warm colours.

After clambering up a set of stairs, the child led him down a corridor and to a door. She knocked on the door. "Yeah?"

The girl blanched at the Slayer's growl from within and glanced at him as if to say, are you sure about this? He replied with an encouraging nod. "Your funeral," was her less than encouraging mutter before looking back towards the door, "it's Alfred Pennyworth, he's an -."

"I know who he is," Faith interrupted. "I ain't seein' anyone."

"Oh this has gone on long enough." Before the girl could react, Alfred reached for the door and opened it. "Ms. Lehane," he greeted as he walked in, noting the brunette's red eyes and blotchy cheeks, "may I take a seat?"

The brunette's red lips pulled up in a half-smile. "Don't suppose it'd make much of a difference if I said no?"

"You're most astute," Alfred praised as he sat down, his eyes scanning the simple yet well equipped office before returning his gaze to the beautiful Slayer. "I can assure you this is no ruse by Mr. Wayne to infiltrate your organisation, he'd recognised you as his possible daughter before he was aware of the Council." He hesitated, in part for dramatic effect, in part to really make his point. "Indeed, when he described you, your powers, and the fact you were fighting vampires, it was I who suggested you might be a Slayer." Alfred smiled wryly. "Although I initially ruled you out due to your age."

"My age?" the brunette beauty looked mortally affronted. "Do I look ready for the retirement home?"

"You're only old for a Slayer, dear," Alfred comforted.

"Yeah," Faith's dark eyes narrowed to slits. "How do you know 'bout Slayers anyhow?"

"Ah," Alfred grimaced. "That is a complicated story." He explained about his brother and the Council's interest in him. "As a result," he concluded, "it was I who alerted Mr. Wayne to the Council's existence, after he'd met you."

"Not that I don't believe you." Despite her words, Faith sounded sceptical. "But proof?"

"You have my word as an Englishman," Alfred stiffly replied. "Failing that, I'm sure a search of Council archives of the late 50s will unearth some mention of an Arthur Pennyworth."

"Faith," the office door was flung open and suddenly Xander was looming in the entrance, "Nita told me about your visitor, are you-."

"I'm cool baby," Faith's eyes didn't shift from him. "Just give me a min."

"Okay," Xander nodded slowly. "I'll be in our room if you need anything."

"'Suppose I believe all this," Faith began the moment the door closed behind her boyfriend. "He still lied to me."

"It would be impolitic of me to point out you also lied by omission, about you being a Slayer-."

"That's different!" Faith snapped defensively. "I wasn't doin' it so I could infiltrate his organisation, I did it to protect him! I didn't know he was the freakin'…." Her voice trailed off.

"I wouldn't be so presumptuous as to apply motives to my employer's actions," Alfred replied. "However, there has only been two times in his adult life that I've seen Mr Wayne as distraught as he was when he learnt Bane was after you."

Faith stared stonily at him, but he continued anyway. "The first time was when the niece of Police Commissioner James Gordon, Barbara Gordon was crippled by the Joker. Barbara was an ally of the Batman, but the Joker didn't know that when he attacked Barbara, that was just an attempt to break Gordon, but Batman felt the guilt because he failed to save someone close to him." Alfred paused, the pain from those days threatening to choke him.

"It wasn't exactly a cake-walk for you either."

"Ms. Gordon was and is someone I hold in great esteem." Alfred smiled slightly at the girl's gruff attempt at sympathy. "The other time was perhaps even worse, the second of Bruce's wards fell foul of the Joker and was killed in a warehouse explosion. Those are the only times I have seen Bruce as distraught as he was today." Alfred paused. "However in the interests in full disclosure, I will admit the DNA test was a fake-."

"I knew it!"

Alfred ignored the Slayer's roar to continue. "In that Bruce already knew what the results would be because he'd already extracted a blood sample from you that day he did a tour of your academy. The lab tests were simply for your satisfaction, not his." Alfred rose. "Now I understand the deceit hurt you, but your father never lied about how he felt about you. I'll look forward to seeing you and Xander at dinner on Saturday night."

* * *

Bane smirked as the prison van carried him to Arkham Asylum. He might have been caught, but the asylum wouldn't hold him for long, it never had before. And the inconvenience he'd caused the Bat. Bane's rumbling laugh echoed around the darkened van. Not as good as crippling his bitch, but he imagined the Batman would be very uncomfortable for quite some time, if his relationship wasn't irrevocably ruined.

"What the-!" He swayed as the van seemed to sway then tilted over, landing on its side with a crash. Bane looked over his basketball-shaped and sized shoulder to his shackles. His shackles weren't normal, rather they were two inch thick pure metal restraints welded into the side of the van and secured to his ankles and wrists, holding him steady.

And now with the van tipped over, he was hanging in mid-air, and unable to do anything to free himself, not matter how much he struggled and writhed his limbs. Then the van's door swung open and light spilled in, followed by a heavily-armed quartet dressed in paramilitary uniforms. "Bane. We have an offer to make."


	13. Chapter 13

**FIC: Faith ****Wayne**** (13/?)**

"Xan," Faith paced the floor of the bedroom she shared with her lover as Xander sat on the bed, "I gotta tell you somethin', 'cause you deserve to know, after all it affects me, but you can't tell anyone else, cause it ain't really my secret to tell, it's his, but like I say, if you're with me, it affects you."

"Only thing I can tell anyone is that run-on sentence really confused me," Xander dryly commented.

Faith spun to face Xander and stopped. "You can't tell anyone." Faith paused at Xander's slow nod, if nothing else you could rely Xander's word. That was one of the things she loved about her big hunk of west coast goodness. Faith licked her lips. "Bane attacked me 'cause he wanted to get to Pops. 'Cause he knows Pops' big secret."

Xander's brow furrowed. "Is Wayne Industries a cover for something?"

"Yeah," Faith nodded, "but probably not in the way you mean." Faith took a breath. "Pops is the Batman."

Xander laughed then stared at her, his jaw dropping, then finally closing. "You're not joking are you?"

"No," the strength in her legs suddenly disappeared, forcing her to slump against the wall. "Bane taunted me with it when Pops turned up to rescue his lil precious. I left, Bats caught up with me and admitted it was true."

"Why? How?" Xander gasped.

Faith laughed despite the tension, the look on her honey's face was priceless. "Birds and the bees babe. We've done it often enough, you should know what you're doin' by now, Harris."

"I meant the specifics," Xander glared at her.

"I don't know the positions that were used." Xander's glare intensified. "Everything went down as Pops said, but he knew before the DNA test that I was his daughter, he recognised me on the docks and took a blood sample on that first visit, remember the cuff links? So the second blood test was just for me really."

"Right," Xander stared at her, some of the glaze leaving her boyfriend's eye. "How do you feel?"

Faith threw her hands up and laughed hysterically. "I don't know, I just don't know!" She shook her head. "I mean I'm so pissed he lied to me, I don't trust easy-."

"I've noticed."

Faith ignored Xander's dry comment. "But it's not like he doesn't have a real good reason to keep the secret." Faith shrugged.

"Big secret," Xander carefully commented. "Maybe even bigger than being a Slayer."

Faith's eyes bored into Xander, but then she nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, I guess." Faith shook her head. "But I'm pissed off he checked me OUT, but didn't tell me the truth. But he treats me pretty good I guess…"

"Cut him out, keep him in. Whatever you decide you have my support," Xander said. "And you know I won't tell anyone."

"Thanks hon," Faith smiled. "I kinda decided we'll go to dinner on Saturday like we agreed, then take things from there."

"Okay. Wow, related to Batman." Xander shook his head. "I'm so jealous." Xander beamed suddenly. "Maybe my real dad's Green Lantern or Captain Marvel, someone like that? What do you think?"

"Maybe we'll meet them and you can ask, honey," Faith idly comforted.

* * *

Faith stared up at Wayne Manor. Somehow the towering mansion seemed even more intimidating than on previous visits, something that she hadn't thought possible before.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Faith started at Xander's voice before her and smiled slightly at the concern in his voice. "No," she shook her head, "but we're gonna."

"Okay," Xander paused as he half-climbed out of the car, "normally I'd be right there for you if you and your dad got into it. But seeing as your dad's Batman, you'll find me hiding in the next state."

Faith half-smiled. "That's my man, a born hero."

"I laugh at fear," Xander paused as they neared the front door, "then quickly change my underwear."

"Ah sometimes, you don't both-," Faith paused as the door swung open to reveal Bruce Wayne's butler. "Alfred."

The snow-haired man smiled politely. "Ms. Lehane. Mr. Harris. A pleasure to see you both, Mr. Wayne is waiting for you in the lobby."

Faith nodded stiffly, still uncomfortable after their last meeting. "Thanks."

* * *

Wayne rose from the sofa as his daughter and her boy-friend entered. "Faith, Xander, it's good to see you both." Wayne sighed as he noted Xander's slack-jawed expression. "I take it you told Xander?"

"Xan honey," Faith matched him stare for stare, the Slayer not giving an inch, "could you go through to the dining room?"

"Are you sure?"

"I'll be fine hon." Xander shrugged, an unhappy expression on his face, then walked off. The moment he was out of earshot, Faith launched at him, dark eyes glaring. "Xan knows everything 'bout me, everythin' bad I've done, I don't keep secrets from him. You've got a problem with that, we'll leave right now, but we won't ever be back."

Bruce was forced to smile at his daughter's unbending will. "Very well. I have to admit I have shared the secret of your dual identity with a number of my friends."

"Like who?" Faith's eyes narrowed to slits.

"Nightwing, Robin, Superman, Martian Manhunter, and Wonder Woman, although Diana had already guessed you were enhanced."

"Enhanced? I ain't had any work-, oh right." Faith's high cheeks flushed. "That's a hell of a lot of people, you guys have the Flash runnin' around delivering a superhero newsletter or somethin'?"

Wayne snorted. "Not quite." His expression sobered. "I have no plans to tell anyone else, those who already know are my closest confidantes."

"Right-," Faith's jaw dropped then closed. "Wait a minute, Nightwing and Robin, they have to be your foster-kids right?"

Wayne stared at Faith, nonplussed by his daughter's astute guesswork. "What makes you say that?"

"Stands to reason don't it?" Faith smirked at him, clearly enjoying his discomfort. "My guess is you're closer to ol' Alfie than anyone, and he knows your secret. Then there's your two charges, 'sides from Alfie, I doubt anyone's near as close to you. You all live in the same home, you've had two, no three charges, and three different Robins," Bruce felt a painful stab at the oblique mention of Jason, but kept an impassive face. "Haven't worked out which is which mind, but I figure the older one has to be Nightwing, right?"

"You seem to have worked it all out," Bruce said. "I'd appreciate it if you kept all this to yourself, and not mention it to the Council."

"Not a problem," Faith replied with a casual shrug. "I don't keep secrets from family, but Xander's my family not the Council."

Bruce noted but chose not to comment on the apparent distance between Faith and the Council. What information Alfred and Clark had managed to furnish him on the Council left him with a very low opinion of it. "Shall we join Dick and Barbara for dinner? The cook's making one of her specialities, a roast lamb. I got her from the London Savoy, so she's most accomplished."

"Wicked," Faith turned to face him at the door of the dining room. "Does-, do the rest of the staff know?"

"Just Alfred," Bruce replied. "It's part of his job to keep the rest of the staff unaware and warn me if anyone starts sniffing around."

"Cool," Faith turned to the door.

"Faith," Bruce waited until his daughter had turned back to face her. "I'll take you and Xander down to the Batcave after dinner."

"Wicked." The smile the brunette shot him was blinding. "Xander will be buzzed."

* * *

Faith followed her father, and that was still wicked weird to think of, her dad was the Bat, as they walked into the expansive, well-lit dining room, Xander and the others sat around a long, antique table, a stilted conversation going on between the two dark-haired men and one strawberry-haired wheelchair bound woman. The conversation instantly ended upon their entry, the strange man rising and reaching out a hand. "Hi, I'm Dick Grayson, Bruce's former charge. You're even more beautiful than your photograph."

"Yeah," Faith forced a grin, "that's me. Even better in live and in living colour."

"Modest too," Xander muttered.

"Modesty been known to run in the Wayne line," commented the flame-haired woman with a soft laugh. "I'm Barbara Gordon."

"Hey, Faith," Faith unnecessarily introduced as she reached across the table to shake the other woman's hand. "Um," Faith decided to plunge right in, "what's with the chair?"

A brief shadow flickered across the other woman's face, making Faith momentarily regret her forthrightness but Barbara answered civilly enough. "The Joker shot me in my spine."

"Right," Faith glanced instinctively at Bruce.

"It wasn't your father's fault," Barbara said. "My father is Commissioner Gordon, the Joker did it to break him. Your father saved my father."

Faith nodded even as she glanced at her expressionless father. Damn, this was a dangerous city. Any other comment was prevented by Alfred opening the doors at the dining room's far end. "Dinner will be served in five minutes. Please take your seats"

* * *

"Whoa."

Bruce smirked as his daughter's whisper echoed back to him as the elevator's steel-grey door opened. His daughter discovering his secret identity complicated matters, but it was gratifying to hear such awe in her voice. "This is my command centre," he said as he wheeled Barbara out into the vast cavern, the lights automatically turning on with the opening of the elevator doors. "From here, with the help of Oracle," he glanced at Barbara, the others having been informed of her identity, "I monitor all crisis points in Gotham, the US, and the world." Bruce walked over to the computer. "Through this. It's a supercomputer with specs on par with any of those used by the leading national security agencies, permitting global surveillance and connecting to a world-wide information network." He chose not to mention the information stored on both Batman's allies and his foes. "I have satellite link-ups allowing me access to my computer anywhere in the world, and any attempt to breach security sends an alert to both Oracle and I."

"Oh god," Faith's mocking whisper echoed through the entire cave. "Daddy's a geek. I'm so embarrassed."

"As you can see," Bruce allowed himself a thin smile at Dick and Barbara's shocked expressions at Faith making fun of him. Yes his reputation really was that bad. "As you can see, the cave also contains state of the art crime-fighting facilities – forensics, drugs, and pathology labs the match of any you'd find throughout the nation, medical facilities, my crime-fighting library, mechanised workshops for my gadgets, personal gymnasium, and as you can see, the hanger space for my various vehicles."

"I don't suppose…"

Xander's voice trailed off at Bruce's firm headshake. "I don't do joyrides."

Xander flushed at his amused tone. "No," Xander shook his head, "I didn't think you did. Worth asking though."

"Whoa," Faith started walking around, eyes shooting everywhere, "serious coinage, pops."

"The Wayne pockets are deep," Wayne commented.

"Yeah," Faith whistled as she looked around. "Gettin' that."

* * *

Xander pursed his lips as he looked at the neatly typed accounts. In theory this was Freddy's job, but as manager of the Gotham City branch of the Watchers' Council, he had to okay all paperwork.

Xander heaved a relieved sigh at the sound of the phone ringing. "Hello," Xander greeted as he picked up the phone, "this is the Xander Harris House of Advanced Math."

"Oh dear, have I rescued you from your accounts?"

The temperature dropped as he recognised Giles' voice and remembered his mentor's doubts about Faith. "Yeah," he replied, "thanks for that."

"Xander?" Giles queried. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just struggling with the accounts," Xander lied. "How can I help you Giles?"

"Um yes," the Englishman sounded a little flustered by his formality. "I've collated that information you requested on behalf of the Batman. I'm afraid we didn't have much to add, however, my secretary will send it over."

Xander found himself smiling despite himself. "Still can't work the email can you?"

"Computers are the instrument of the devil," Giles replied with a short laugh. "And no I can't." Giles paused, the sound of his fingers drumming on the desktop clearly audible over the trans-Atlantic line. "Xander, I assume if Batman and his sources come up with any information, they will share information, it is after all our area of expertise."

Xander chuckled. "Giles, I hate to burst your bubble but any one of the Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Captain Marvel, and oh yeah, the big Kryptonian, could take out a couple of hundred Slayers without breaking a sweat. And that's without taking in account all the Green Lanterns and the like."

"That's as maybe," Giles huffed, Xander could almost see him rubbing at his spectacles, "but the Council has centuries of expertise and records in the supernatural."

Xander rubbed at his forehead. "Look if you want me to negotiate a territorial dispute between you and Bats, how can I put it diplomatically? Forget. It."

"As you wish," Giles grunted. "And how our operations going in general?"

"Well that depends if I can get these accounts to balance," Xander dryly replied. "If they balance, pretty good."

"Good, good," Giles nodded. "And no major injuries? None of the girls suffering from any lack of morale or depression? No major threats on the horizon?"

"This is the city of the Bat, vampires tend to give it a wide berth," Xander glibly replied. "As for emotional problems, Faith doesn't allow them on her watch, she says with her psychosis and my self-esteem issues we already have enough problems to keep both of the Cranes going 'til retirement."

"Ha," Giles chuckled, "she probably has a point." Giles' tone sobered. "And how is her relationship with her father developing?"

Xander's shoulders tensed. "I told you once and I'm not going to do it again. If it was Buffy with the famous father, you wouldn't worry about her spilling secrets. I'm tired of the double-standard Giles, and I won't take it anymore."

"Xander, no!" Giles said. "I didn't mean to suggest-."

"Save it." Xander took a calming breath as he hung up the phone and shook his head. No, that didn't work, he logged off his computer and rose. He needed to work some tension off, and he knew just the place to do it.

* * *

"What ya workin' on Pops?"

Bruce raised an eyebrow as he continued to scan the information on the screen before him, struggling to concentrate while his daughter peered over his shoulder. "I'm trying to work out just who hired Constantine Drakon."

"Drakon?" Faith queried.

"The man who attempted to kill you," Wayne replied. "I'm trying to find out if it was a supernatural or criminal enemy who hired him."

"Oh," his daughter shrugged casually, "happens so often these days, I forget their names." Wayne cast the Bostonian a guilty glance. "So what ya got?" Wayne stared blankly at the Slayer. "On the hirer?"

"Oh," Wayne nodded and scowled. "Nothing as yet, it appears there was an one million dollar deposit in Drakon's Cayman Islands' account-."

"A million dollars?" Faith beamed. "Finally someone understands my worth."

Wayne rubbed at his forehead. If his daughter hung around for much longer he'd have to buy shares in Aspirin. "But apart from that, I can't trace the money back to its original source, so I'm no closer to knowing if it was one of your supernatural enemies, although I assume they'd be smart enough not to send a human after you, or someone knows of your relationship to me, and my own secret identity."

"Right," Faith paused, "so what's the next move, Pops?"

"I'm not entirely sure, I have Oracle running an electronic worm tracking the money back to its source." Wayne rubbed at his forehead. "That however will take time, bank system passwords take time to crack. And don't call me Pops."

"'Kay," Faith looked briefly deflated then beamed. "What 'bout Daddy?" Bruce groaned. "The Old Man?" Faith grinned at his grimace. "Pa?"

"Bruce would be just fine," Wayne said through gritted teeth.

"Jeez," Faith elbowed him in the side, "grow a sense of humour why don't ya?"

"I'm the Batman," Bruce stonily replied. "I'm not supposed to have a sense of humour."

Faith's laugh died as his daughter peered at the computer screen and pointed at a face on it. "Who's that?"

Bruce wondered at the sudden frost in his daughter's voice. "Ra's al Ghul," he grated, "a very old enemy of mine."

"Well he ain't too keen on me either," Faith replied. "I had a Slayer Dream and in it this prick really wanted me dead!"

Bruce looked at his daughter. These Slayer Dreams wouldn't exactly hold up in court, but it was enough for him. Him and Ghul were going to have to have a very intense talk in the near future. Forcing a smile, he rose. "You said something about a work-out?"

"Yeah," Faith tore her eyes away from the screen. "Let's see what the old man can do."


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** I've had a few complaints about Xander's attitude towards Giles. While Xander is going over the top losing his temper (as he did when he discovered Buffy's behaviour & lies over Angel Season 2 & 3), rather than coolly putting his point, he is right to highlight the double-standard that Giles exhibited throughout the series, favouring Buffy and judging and treating everyone far more harshly than her.

**FIC: Faith ****Wayne**** (14/?)**

Blow after blow thudded into the black punchbag, the bag swinging back and forth as Xander gritted his teeth, sweat pouring off him. Xander stepped forward, catching the bag with a high knee that set its chain to jangling before leaping back out and rocking it with a left hook.

"Um, can we talk Rocky?"

Xander didn't look towards Freddy as he replied, his attention on the swaying bag that was the focus for his anger. "Depends, want to grab a hold," he stepped alongside of the bag and delivered a shoulder-high elbow, "of the bag."

"Not really," Freddy muttered before grabbing a hold, hands planted under the bag as he leaned into it. "So Giles called me about five minutes ago-."

"Oh?" Xander saw red as he rammed a knee into the bottom of the bag, almost lifting it from the former school reporter's grip.

"He said you got the wrong end of the stick." Freddy grunted. "Which I guess is English for you misunderstood."

"I didn't," Xander caught the bag with a trio of fast jabs, "misunderstand. He doesn't trust Faith, it doesn't matter what she does, she'll never be good enough." A right hook smashed into the bag's left side. "You've read Giles' Watcher Diaries right?"

"Um," Freddy grunted as he caught the bag with a body shot, "if the right answer's yes, then sure."

"Well every one of us made mistakes," Xander caught the bag with a hook then danced out and flung an overhead right that dented the bag's canvas. "Buffy and her vampires, running away, trusting Walsh etc, etc. Giles and his Ripper phase, Will with her magical problems, and me and a couple of brain-numbingly dumb spells. But Faith is the only one who was really punished and yet she's still the only one who gets judged for it."

"Maybe," Freddy gasped, "I'm not the one you should be telling this to?"

"Yeah," Xander leapt away after a couple of fast jabs. "You might have a point." Turning, he strode to the changing room, sweat dripping off him.

"Jeez," he heard Freddy muttering behind him, "that'll be a fun conversation."

* * *

"So," Faith grinned across the gym mats to her father, "you really wanna take on the champion, old man?"

Her father adjusted the belt on his gi before replying with a stern smile. "I am an expert in a 127 martial arts, I am the champion."

One hundred and twenty-seven martial arts? Faith's jaw dropped and brow furrowed, she didn't know there were one hundred and twenty-seven martial arts much less master them.

It was then she realised her dad was charging towards her. His right exploded against her forehead, knocking her back two steps, only her instinctive heel thrust kick aimed at his chest, forcing her father to back off rather than press his advantage. Faith shook her head clear then leapt into a flying knee to the face.

Pain blazed through her leg when her father sidestepped her attack and caught her with a downwards karate chop to the inner knee. "Shit!" Faith cursed as she landed on the mats, her right leg almost buckling under her. Seeing her father coming in with his own knee Faith blocked his attack on her right forearm. Ignoring the impact running up her right arm, she hooked the underside of her father's knee with her left arm and pulled.

Her father fell, but his back had barely touched mat and he was rolling onto his side and away from her attempted stomp to the chest, and into a crouch, his right fist shooting out to crash into her left hamstring. "Shit," Faith grunted as she once again stumbled. Her hands shot up to grab her father's arm as it looped around her neck, snapping forward at the waist to fling him to the canvas.

"Jeez," Faith laughed as her dad rolled back up into a crouch. "What are you the Energizer Bunny?" Her father smiled and wordlessly cocked a finger at her. "You want more?" Faith grinned before leaping into a shoulder-high thrust kick.

Pain blazed through her shoulder when the Caped Crusader once again sidestepped her attack, grabbed her by her tank-top collar and flung her down to the mat, following that up with a stomp to the chest that Faith partially rolled away from and caught on her shoulder. Faith shook her head as she rolled up and into a crouch, disbelieving dark eyes fixed on her dad. How in the hell could a normal man, even the Batman, hang with her like this?

Even as she struggled to come to terms with her father's abilities, he was coming in again, throwing a right cross that she pulled her head under only to catch a left uppercut on the jaw. Frustration spilt out of her in a growl, firing off a leg sweep that her rival sidestepped while throwing a karate chop at her neck.

Faith smirked as she grabbed her father's wrist inches from her neck, twisted, and pulled it across her body, flinging her dad to the mat. Unfortunately, he also managed to grab her leg at the ankle as he hit the canvas at her feet, and pull it from her.

Faith grunted as she hit the canvas on her shoulders and rolled backwards and through into a crouch, disbelief filling her. Everything she did, he had a counter for.

Time for her to up the ante.

Faith feinted to the right, then lunged to the left, shooting out a hook to the Batman's gut. Her father gasped as the punch connected, but then his side kick cracked into her outer-knee, buckling her down to one knee, and before she could rise, her dad was behind her, one arm cinching around her neck, the other arm grabbing her right wrist and twisting her arm up her back. "Ahhh!" Pain lanced through her arm and Faith's vision blurring from the loss of oxygen as she tried and failed to reach up with her free arm to throw her dad off, but he had all the advantages, leverage, size, positioning. Faith's free hand slapped against the canvas. "Uncle! Uncle!" she wheezed.

Her father released his grip and stepped back. "Do you need a hand up?"

"Nah," Faith struggled to her feet. "I'm like six times stronger than a normal," Faith shook the numbness out of her limbs even as she warily eyed her father. "How did you manage that?"

Bruce smiled back at her. "I'm the Bat, I'm used to fighting people far stronger than a Slayer."

"Yeah," Faith forced her instinctive trepidation of men who could take her in a fight, "so lunch?"

"I imagine Alfred will be able to rustle something up." Bruce stared down at her, a sadness entering his eyes. "Faith, you never have to be frightened of me." Her father turned and strode to the changing room before she could think of a glib reply.

* * *

Xander stared at the phone on his office desk for a seeming eternity. This conversation about him and Faith had been building ever since they'd started dating. Ever since then he'd been ignoring Giles and Buffy's silent disapproval, but maybe that was the problem, instead of being the path of least resistance, he should have stood up for himself.

Finally he snatched the phone up, noting his slightly sticky palm, and called up the London's office number from the memory. The phone rang six times before being answered by Giles' icily polite receptionist. "Hello, Rupert Giles' office."

"Hi Rachel," he forced a pleasant note into his voice, reminding himself it wasn't the secretary he was mad with, "it's Xander, can you put me through to Giles."

"Connecting you now."

"Ah, Xander I'm glad you got back to me-."

"Where do you get off acting like some great judge over Faith?" he snapped.

"Son, I assure you-."

"You can assure me all you want," Xander was on a roll now. "You know none of us are lily white. Remember Ripper, Eyghon, and Buffy's Tento di Cruciamentum, remember abandoning Buffy when she came back from the dead? Remember Buffy standing aside while Angelus and Spike went on their rampages not to mention her running away? Remember my dumb meddlings with magic? How about Willow's fall to the dark side? Now why is it Faith's the only one who was really punished for the deaths she caused and yet she's the only one who can't be forgiven?"

There was a moment's silence. "Son, I'm genuinely concerned-."

"And your genuine concern is why," Xander was steaming now, hurt and resentment spilling out of him, "you asked if Faith had spilt her guts about being a Slayer to her father?" In fact Mr. Wayne already knew, but it certainly wasn't down to Faith. "Do you check up on what Buffy's said to her boy-friends-."

"Come now, Xander!" Giles managed a growl. "That's entirely different."

"How? Do you remember Angelus, Walsh, Spike, Ford, etc, etc," Xander pointed out. "Do you remember what a great judge of character Buffy is? Yet you never think to question if she's keeping her mouth shut, but Faith doesn't get even that much trust!" Xander forced his grip on the phone to release slightly. "I was a kid when Faith arrived in town, I didn't know any better and didn't have the financial or emotional resources to help her even if I had known. But you, you were an adult, heck you were her unofficial Guardian for several months, but what did you do? Did you help her find somewhere better to live? Did you try and treat her equally to Buffy? No," he shook his head, "she was always an after-thought. Well it's unacceptable and it stops now, and if you don't like it, you can have both our resignations by the end of the week!"

* * *

"Sir? May I come in?"

Bruce finished pulling on his woollen pullover before replying. "Of course, Alfred."

"Thank you sir." The door opened and Alfred strode in. "I understand you were training with your daughter. If I may ask, how did it go?"

Bruce smiled wanly. "She's incredible Alfred, fast, strong, adaptable. Requires more training however." Bruce's smile disappeared. "I beat her, and then she was scared of me, just for a second, as if she couldn't trust me."

"Sir, if I may be so bold, Ms. Lehane has had a terrible life, but it is a life that has tempered her," Alfred said. "I have no idea what attributes if any she got from her mother, but I see the indomitable Wayne will in her eyes. She will be fine." Alfred bowed his head as he backed to the door. "Dinner will be served in twenty minutes."

Bruce nodded wearily, his friend and guardian's words cold comfort. "Thank you, Alfred."

"Sir," Alfred's weathered features parted in a wry smile, "if I may so bold, if your daughter requires more training, she could scarcely be in better hands."

"Yes," Bruce's own smile broadened slightly. "There is that."

* * *

"Hey, I've just been going over the roster," Freddy walked in. "And I got this weird phone call from Mr. Giles, he seems to think you're resigning."

Xander didn't look up from his typing. "I'm just writing the letter now."

"But why?" Freddy dropped into the chair opposite him, distress etched across his fellow Sunnydale High alumni's face. "I thought we had a good thing going here! I thought our operation ran well."

Xander hid a grimace at his friend's reaction. "It's nothing to do with anyone here, everyone's great-."

"If the team's so great why do you want to break it up?" Freddy demanded.

"Like I said, it's not you," Xander shrugged. "It's Giles and Buffy, but mostly Giles because we don't have much interaction with Buffy anymore. I'm tired of them not trusting Faith-."

"Why?" Freddy interrupted. "What did Giles say?"

"Well," Xander shrugged, "it's a whole bunch of things, but the straw that broke the one-eyed Watcher's back was Giles questioning if Faith could keep her mouth shut about being a Slayer to her dad." Xander shook his head. "I'm tired of Faith being constantly judged for her past when others seem to get off scott free."

Freddy leaned forward in his seat, the anguish in his eyes replaced by anger. "And what about your loyalty to us?" the former reporter snapped. "The people here don't work for the Council, they work for you! How is what you're doing any better than what you're saying Giles did to Faith?" Xander opened his mouth, but Freddy was on a roll. "And does Faith even know about your resignation?"

Ah, Xander winced inwardly as he realised in his fury he hadn't even talked to Faith. "Look, just give me time to think about this, okay?"

"Sure," Freddy rose, his chair screeching back, "boss."

"Fre-." Xander's voice trailed off as his friend stormed out, door shaking as he slammed behind it. "Ah hell."

* * *

"Hey," Faith strode nervously into the long dining room, her father and Timothy Drake already sat at the table.

"Hello," her father rose and pulled out a chair, "please, take a seat."

"Yeah, thanks." Forcing her fluttering nerves under control, Faith sat down.

"You look lovely by the way," Bruce said as he stepped away.

"I'd say."

Faith hid a grin at Tim's muttered comment, obviously the kid didn't realise just how good a Slayer's hearing was. "Sorry Tim?" she affected a puzzled expression, her secret grin widening at the teen's spluttering blush.

Her father, brooding, dark Batman, smirked at her effect on his charge. Not that she blamed the kid, she did look totally hot secretary in her black skirt that left plenty of muscled thigh showing and a milk-white blouse with the top two buttons unfastened giving just a hint of cleavage.

They were mid-way through the main course of roast duck when Bruce dropped a bombshell. "I was wondering if you'd like to accompany us on patrol tonight?"

Faith almost choked on her duck, but managed to swallow it down before taking a sip of her coke and looking towards her dad. "You serious?"

"Well, you proved this afternoon you could handle yourself and as a Slayer you're not inexperienced in battle," Bruce said between sips of his drink. "If you want to?"

Faith licked her lips, her dad, Batman wanted her to patrol with him? "I wanna," she blurted out.

"Huh, not to be a wet blanket," Tim broke in. "But Faith's been in quite a few magazines recently, if people see her with the Bat, well they might start adding two and two together."

"Yeah," Faith felt disappointment bite home. "I guess Tim's gotta point."

"Already thought of that," Bruce replied with a slight smile, "I've had Alfred draw up a costume for you."

"Oh boy," Faith choked back a chuckle when Tim Drake started muttering again, "how does he expect me to keep my concentration under these circumstances?"

"Hey Tim," Faith smiled coyly at the boy, "seeing as the Batmobile's a two-seater, can I sit in your lap?"

"We'll make room," Bruce hurriedly replied before Tim could say anything.

* * *

"Hey Freddy," Xander forced a smile as he made his way out into his office's reception area and stopped at Freddy's desk, the former school reporter pointedly looking down at his computer screen. "I was thinking about patrolling tonight, seeing as Faith's away, let's tear up the rota and have a night in. Xbox night in the lounge, what do you think?"

"You're the boss," Freddy replied. "For now."

Xander ignored the barb. "Yeah," his cheery tone was sounding more and more false by the second, "I think the girls have been doing great recently, they really deserve a night off."

"I'll put a message through the intercom," Freddy said. "I'm sure they'll be pleased."

Xander opened his mouth but closed it again. There really wasn't anything he could say.

* * *

"Oh boy," Tim's jaw hit the floor with an audible clunk when Faith strode in dressed in a black mask covering her eyes and nose, leaving only a gap around the back for her ponytail, a grey spandex one-piece that ran from mid-thigh to just under her a neck with the symbol of a black bat on the middle of her chest, black PVC knee-high boots, and a black, waist-long cape billowing in behind her, "oh boy."

Faith's full lips parted in a cocksure smile. "I look okay, pops?"

"When I'm in this costume, it's Batman," Bruce reprimanded. "And you know you look great."

"Yeah," Faith smirked. "Batman it is. What's the mission for tonight?"

"Five days ago, the corpse of a small-time hood was dredged out of the river," Batman paused. "This man had two very distinctive and unusual things about him, one, all of his convictions took place in Star City. There's no indication that he ever worked in Gotham."

"Maybe he was a member of Intergang," Tim suggested.

"Perhaps, however he was a relatively minor criminal without any unique specialised talents," Batman replied. "So the question is just why he was here."

"Relatives?" Faith suggested.

"He grew up in a Star City orphanage," Batman replied.

"What's the other distinctive thing?" Faith asked.

"He had in his system a very unusual chemical, one the police forensic examiner missed," Batman said before looking towards her and Tim in turn. "One used exclusively by the Joker."

"Oh shit," Faith whistled. This was the big leagues, but then the First, the Beast, and several of her other demons hadn't been kindergarten teachers.

"Yes," Batman nodded. "To judge by the corpse's decomposition it had been in the water for a week, and so I tracked the corpse back by current patterns to where it had been dumped. And I came up with a possible location for the Joker. A condemned warehouse on 12/9th."

Faith swallowed. "How did he get that face anyway?"

It was Tim rather than Batman who answered. "No-body knows not even him, any time anyone asks him about his origin, he comes up with a different story."

"So we gonna do this?" Faith raised an eyebrow.

* * *

The Joker giggled manically as he looked around his domain. "Harley, dear." He grabbed his girl-friend by the hair and pulled her into a kiss, crushing her lips with his own and pulling her onto the throne he had set up at the warehouse's rear, his men loading up the two fake security trucks he had at the front of the building. "How is your chemistry going?"

"Oh bang, oh bang, boom, boom!" Harley threw her head back and giggled. "Everything's comin' up corpses, Puddin'!"

The Joker stared affectionally at his girl's pun. Then punched her square in the mouth, cackling as she fell to the ground with a grunt. "That's what I like to hear."

Some primal instinct made him look up, a gleeful giggle escaped him as an all-too familiar shadow fell over him. "Batman."

* * *

Forcing away his worries about how his daughter would perform, he and Robin dropped out of the rafters and onto the couple on the pedestal. His downward right caught the Joker square on the jaw, knocking him off his throne. The crazed villain hit the ground on his side, a manic giggle escaping his mouth as he hit the ground, and rolled up into a crouch. "The Bat?" the Joker cackled. "Will this be the night I finally clip your wings?"

Batman smiled as he crouched opposite his greatest nemesis. "Not likely."

"We'll see!" Joker cackled before leaping at him.

Batman nimbly sidestepped the crazy's attack only to catch an elbow to the side of his head that had him seeing stars. Batman gritted his teeth as his rival came in with an avalanche of kicks, punches, knees, and elbows, the madman's unpredictably and inhuman pain resistance only adding to his difficulty as an opponent.

Batman knocked away an attempted headbutt with an uppercut to the Joker's jaw that snapped his rival's head back, then caught him with a rear leg sweep that sent the villain crashing on his back. The Batman was on the Joker before he could move, ignoring the man's flailing limbs to lock his legs around his midsection and his arms around the man's neck, thick sinews writhing and popping as he choked his arch-rival out.

The moment the gangly villain went limp, Batman looked up, heart tight with concern as he searched for his daughter.

* * *

"Man," Faith muttered as her motorbike screeched towards the warehouse, lights illuminating its wooden doors, "this is one sweet ride." Faith hit the accelerator and dropped the bike on its side, sparks igniting as she pulled her trail leg up and away from the ground. Wood splintered as her bike crashed into the door and powered through it. The moment she was clear of the door Faith used the momentum to leap off and into a spin-kick that took the nearest thug full in the face, knocking him off his feet and into unconsciousness.

The moment Faith landed, a trio of thick-set thugs charged in, one wielding a carving knife, another with a bike chain, and the third with a brass knuckles. Faith's left hand came up and caught the brass knuckles, her right hand grabbing the chain swinging towards her head. A grin pulled at her full lips as she yanked her right arm across her body and pulled the chain-wielder into the way of the knifeman charging towards her, then finished the chain-wielder off with a kick to the balls that lifted him off his feet before depositing him a groaning foetal ball on the ground.

The knife man jumped around his downed companion, his knife slashing left and right. Faith twisted the brass-knuckler's fist, his scream lost in the crack of his breaking wrist, the man flipping down and onto his side while Faith ducked under the knife and released her grip on the man's fist to leap in and butt the knife-wielder's face.

Except the man somehow managed to lean away from her and punch across his body with his free hand, knuckles crashing into the side of her head. Faith took the punch, grabbed the man's knife wrist as his blade swung in and held it tight, her knee driving up into the man's gut. Except he blocked it on his forearm before attempting a retaliatory headbutt that Faith knocked away with a trio of blurringly-fast hooks to the man's face, bones shattering under every blow. The man fell away, his face a bloody mess.

"You did well Fem-Bat."

Faith grinned, half at her dad's praise and half at her slightly-ridiculous nickname. "Natch."


	15. Chapter 15

**FIC: Faith ****Wayne**** (15/?)**

Arkham Asylum

"Fem-Bat! Fem-Bat!" Joker's cackle ran up and down the corridor as the trolley he was strapped to was wheeled into his cell. "Another member of the Bat Family to entertain me!"

Jack shivered at the Joker's icy laugh. Arkham was filled with the crazy and deadly, but none filled him with fear like the Joker. "This place," he shook his head as he joined his fellow orderlies in backing out of the cell, "I have gotta get myself a better job. Or a worse one, but at a different place."

* * *

Xander had to admit to more than a little jealousy as his girl-friend animatedly described her adventure with the Batman. But that was okay, the jealousy was just a pond in an ocean of pride and happiness for his girl-friend. "So anyway-." Faith's mouth clamped shut at a knock at his office door.

Xander raised an eyebrow. "Hello?"

The door opened and a still sullen looking Freddy stepped inside. "Mr. Giles is here to see you."

Xander's heart sank as he realised he hadn't told Faith about his argument yesterday. Oh boy, this was definitely cue fireworks. Faith was strutting towards the door before he could say anything, a smirk tugging at her lips. "Hey Rupes, come in."

"Thank you," the Englishman smiled at Faith, his smile becoming uncertain as he glanced across the room to him, "Xander, I'm pleased to see you."

"Giles," he said, his face stone. He looked towards Freddy. "Thanks for showing him in, Freddy."

The former school reporter nodded brusquely before backing out of the room and closing the door behind him. Faith's eyes narrowed to slits as she looked from him to Giles. "Is it me or am I gettin' a flashback to the gunfight at the OK Corral?" Faith laughed shortly. "Tension much?"

"Xander," the usually amusing sight of Giles rubbing his spectacles didn't generate so much as a lip twitch, "may I take a seat." Suddenly too nervous to speak, Xander just nodded. "Thank you," Giles sat down in the chair opposite him, Faith leaning against the wall by the window. "Xander, Faith, if I ever gave you any idea that I didn't hold you both in the highest regard, I can only apologise." Faith's brow furrowed in confusion, Xander could almost see the countdown to her explosion. "Your handling of our east coast office has been nothing short of exemplary. However," Giles took a rattling breath as if talking hurt, "on a personal note, it would devastate me if you chose to resign and leave the Council. I consider you bot-."

"RESIGN?" Xander winced at Faith's yell. "What. The. Fuck!" Faith's dark eyes skewered Giles, but he had a feeling the impaling eyes would soon be turned on him.

Giles looked from Faith to him and back again. "The last time we spoke-."

"Whoa," Faith's eyes snapped back to him, narrowing to slits, "you been talkin' 'bout me behind my back?"

Xander swallowed at the sudden drop in room temperature. "Giles," he forced his eyes to remain on his seething girl-friend, "Freddy has some questions about the reacquisition forms and the personnel reports, if you wouldn't mind."

"Um, yes of course." The Englishman's puzzled gaze switched between them as he rose and edged out of the room.

"What the fuck's this about?" Faith grated the moment the door shut behind the Council Head.

Xander hid a wince at the suspicion in his girl-friend's tone. "Just after you met Bruce, before you knew," Xander licked his lips, "you know, I got a phone call from Giles stressing that you shouldn't say anything about being a Slayer to impress him."

"What!" Faith snarled.

"I told him you could be trusted and pretty much hung up on him," Xander replied. "He rang back a couple of days ago and started nosing around about your relationship, I got pissed and sorta told him I wasn't willing to put up with you being questioned any longer, if he didn't like it, he could accept our resignations."

"Damn Xan," Xander was relieved when some of the anger vibrating around the room dissipated, "I 'ppreciate you standin' up for me, but Jesus, we're a team, we have to make decisions together."

"I know," Xander nodded remorsefully, "I just-," Xander shook his head, "I'm tired of you being judged by different rules to -."

"Buffy?" Faith chuckled sourly. "That ain't never gonna change, lover."

"No maybe not," Xander admitted. "But it's not just her. Me, Will, and Giles have all made mistakes that ended up in people's deaths. Yet none of us get the scrutiny you do."

"Hey." Faith smiled painfully, her flippant shrug failing to fool him. ""I'm the outsider."

"Not with me you're not," Xander hotly replied.

Faith's smile became a little more genuine. "Thanks, stud. But you can't be makin' decisions for me."

"I know, I know," Xander knew when to fold. "The question is what we do now?"

"We can't quit, I guess Pops would take me on his team, but I like the people we work with," Faith's smile had a heart-breaking tinge of vulnerability. "It's the first real home I've had. 'Sides you're wicked cool at this Watcher thing."

"And there's not much call for one-eyed carpenters," Xander wryly commented.

"Yeah," Faith grinned then sobered. "But we can't let G know that."

"We can't?" Xander's brow furrowed.

"Yeah," Faith nodded. "Think you knucklehead. We've got leverage, we can get shit off Giles if we bargain hard."

"Stuff like what?" Xander leaned forward in his seat, eyes fixed on his girl-friend.

"You know," Faith pursed her lips together. "I wanna funds to bring independent instructors in, world champions in martial arts and it's wrong that you aren't on the Council Board."

Xander shrugged at the mention of the body of senior Watchers that had been set up to run the Council in the wake of its re-creation. Their job was primarily setting up personnel requirements for Watcher staff, over-seeing the creation of Council protocol, and the negotiation of truces. "All the Watchers are over forty, I don't think I qualify," Xander replied.

"Buffy and Willow are on it," Faith flatly replied.

"Buffy's the oldest," Faith chuckled at that, "longest-lived Slayer and Willow's the world's most powerful magic user."

"Don't matter," Faith shook her head. "You're the only Scooby who ain't on the Board. That's what matters."

Xander sighed. He couldn't think of anything more boring than the Council Board meetings, but if that was what Faith wanted as her price for not being trusted, then this is what she got. "How do we do this?"

Faith's dimples deepened. "Just watch and learn, hon. Watch and learn."

* * *

Justice League Watchtower, 22,300 Miles Above The Earth

J'onn J'onzz looked around the long, gleaming war-room of the JLA. Rarely had he felt the disquiet he felt now. It seemed almost as if the world was tearing itself apart in a succession of natural and unnatural disasters, and man-made atrocities.

J'onn always felt vaguely surprised on days like this, days when the world appeared to be threatened. He was after all a Martian, and in theory his powers meant he could leave here at any time and find a new world to inhabit. And yet….

He'd made friendships and put down roots here. He couldn't walk away from that, sometimes you had to stand up and be counted. A smile pulled at his lips, more than becoming a human, more than becoming an American, he was becoming John Wayne. "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do."

Sensing eyes on him, he looked up to see Clark smiling wryly at him. "Something you'd like to share with the group?"

If he'd been able, J'onn would have blushed. "No, not at the moment."

Clark's smile disappeared. "Batman," the Kryptonian glanced towards the hero in question. "Have you the reports in from the North American disaster areas?"

"Yes," Batman nodded slowly, his cool gaze sweeping the room of earth's premier heroes. "The death count in the three areas, Wyoming, San Diego, and Miami numbers eight thousand-." A shocked ripple ran through the room. "It would be 20 – 33% higher if not for the Wyoming quake happening in an isolated area. None of the incidents appeared to have a Meta, natural, or technological cause."

Clark stared around the room. "That leaves only the supernatural."

Batman shrugged. "Or technology so futuristic our equipment couldn't recognise it. Or it was caused by as yet unknown Meta."

"The later seems unlikely," Wonder Woman commented, a grave expression on her beautiful features, "there has been too many incidents in too many differing locations in too short a time to be anything less than a whole team of Metas."

"Wonder Woman," Clark looked towards Diana. "Where you able to detect anything at your incident sites?" After a second, Diana mutely shook her head. Superman sighed. "Neither did I."

"There's also the worrying rumours of some sort of alliance between the world's super-villains and a number of confirmed escapes from prisons," Batman growled.

"And how are the world's governments responding?" Flash asked.

Batman's scowl deepened. "According to Oracle, some of the world's covert organisations are aware 'something's' wrong, but like us are unaware exactly what. Fortunately however, none of them have seen fit to inform their governments, although the incidents have provoked vast relief efforts in the more responsible nations."

"How long before widespread panic?" Wonder Woman asked.

Batman shrugged his shoulders. "The best probability analysis suggests that should things continue on the path they're currently on, they should come to a head in five to seven days. Of course they could taper off, but probability would suggest otherwise."

"Plus," Green Arrow smirked, "your own sunny nature."

A chuckle ran through the room. "To further investigate the supernatural aspect, I've invited Jason Blood and Zauriel to join us," Superman's firm voice cut through the somewhat forced hilarity.

Blood began to rise only to be interrupted by Guy Gardner. "If we're having supernatural experts here, shouldn't the Phantom Stranger be here?"

"He would be," Clark scowled, "if we could find him."

J'onn grimaced. It had been his specific responsibility to track down the paranormal being, one he'd utterly failed at. Either whatever was coming had so scared the Phantom Stranger that he'd gone into hiding, or alternatively the mastermind had enough power to kill or apprehend the Phantom Stranger. J'onn's grimace deepened. Either option chilled him

Clark continued after a moment's heavy silence. "Jason, how are demons feeling about current events?"

Jason scowled. "The most powerful of the demons feel there's some opportunity for advancement of their schemes, but the weaker ones are just plain terrified." Jason shook his head. "And before you ask, we have no idea what's coming."

"And neither do we," Zauriel added before he could be asked.

"Why isn't Doctor Fate here?" Guy Gardner queried.

"I contacted him," Wonder Woman replied, "but I was informed he was in commune with the spirit world, trying to question his contacts, and couldn't be disturbed."

"What's our plan of action?" Green Arrow queried.

"As you can see from the files collated before you, I've compiled a report of all the information I've been able to find about the prophesised war." Clark took a breath. "We can't do anything at the moment, not until we know when or how the threat will materialise."

"We can't fight an enemy without knowing who they are," Batman growled.

"Precisely," Clark nodded. "So what we're going to do is spread what little information to as many people in the Meta-Human as possible, so we're as ready as possible for whatever is to come." Clark looked towards Guy Gardner. "Guy, we might need intergalactic help at some point, I want you to ready the Green Lantern Corps and the Guardians. Batman, contact the Outsiders, Birds Of Prey, and Teen Titans. Zantana, contact the Sentinels and Shadowpact. Green Arrow, contact the Freedom Fighters and Justice Society. The rest of you, anyone we've missed, contact."

"Does that include foreign Metas?" Flash queried.

"This is an international problem." Superman smiled at the man in red. "Get your running shoes on and start a global tour, we might need everyone before this is said and done. Until we know anything further, tell everyone to concentrate their efforts on disaster relief."

* * *

Faith took her coffee from the café's counter, put her five bucks down, and made her way to a table to the café's rear, ignoring the looks and mutters off people who either recognised her or who had noticed her molten hotness. Faith sunk into the velvet-upholstered seat and supped at her coffee, a grin tugging at her full lips as the coffee's strong scent filled her nostrils.

Today had gone well, very well. Yeah, she'd been pissed at Xan for unilaterally deciding they should quit the Council even though she'd appreciated his angry defence of her. However she'd been able to use G's desperation to keep them to get Xan on the Council Board, so it was all good. Faith felt her jaw clench and brow furrow, Xander might not have been bothered 'bout bein' on the Board, but it stuck in her craw that he was the only original Scooby who wasn't on it. That was disrespectful, like sayin' him bein' there from the start didn't matter. Hell, way the records told it, there wouldn't be any Scoobies for her man.

Well she'd sorted that out, gotten him the props he deserved.

"Hello Faith, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Faith stared at the stylishly dressed brunette who'd sat down opposite her, surprised the woman had managed to sneak up on her. "I don't give interviews," she flatly warned even as she inspected the woman. She was in her early thirties, tall with flowing black hair and flashing green eyes, and a lean workout fanatic's physique. Very hot.

"Strange," the woman seemed unfazed by her chilly reception. "I seem to remember reading an interview with you in The Daily Planet."

"That was a favour for my pop," Faith replied. "Now if you don't mind I'd like to be alone."

"I'm Selina Kyle, a close friend of your father," the woman continued as if she hadn't spoken. "I wouldn't like for him to be taken advantage of by a gold-digger."

"A what?" Faith raised an eyebrow as she seethed inwardly. This bitch didn't know how close she was comin' to getting the ass-kicking to end all ass-kickings. "If you'd bother to read the article, you can read right, you'd know my dad was the one who introduced himself to me."

The woman had to have blood of ice to keep smiling at her like she was. "Meetings can be arranged and DNA results tampered with. It's just a matter of having the right knowledge and contacts. But I'm warning you for your own good, Bruce Wayne isn't your average playboy, trying to run a con on him could be the biggest of your life." The woman chuckled. "Although after meeting you I see you have something of the Wayne temperament, maybe you are who you say you are."

"Really?" Faith smirked even as her mind raced, did this woman know her pop's secret? "That's a relief." The woman laughed softly before rising and stalking out. Faith shook her head. "Oh my life's not complicated at all."

* * *

Bludhaven

Nightwing leapt to his right, near leg swinging up to kick off against the alley's wall and into a leaping roundhouse kick that caught the thug square in the face. Blood spewed from the hood's mouth as he crumpled to the unyielding ground. The moment Nightwing's feet touched the wet tarmac he was kicking up and off, into a back-heel kick that caught the crook sneaking up behind him in the chest, flinging him into the alley's trash cans, a rotting cabbage dramatically bouncing down the alley.

He blocked a swung down bottle on his padded forearm, glass shattering as he side-heel kicked the man in the knee, then followed that up with a twisted waist uppercut to the man's jaw, the thug's head snapping back as he stumbled in retreat. The man swung a desperate right that Nightwing glided under, a right of his own hooking to the man's flabby midsection, a karate chop to the back of the man's dirty neck ending the fight.

He glanced up to the fire escape and the darkness shrouded figure stood there. "Thanks for the assist by the way."

"You are getting better," Batman stepped into the alley's wan light. "Once upon a time you wouldn't have noticed me until the end of the fight."

"What are you here for?" Nightwing asked as his mentor jumped over the fire escape's grille and dropped to the floor, cape billowing behind him. "You've not found another relative have you? Please tell me you're not related to Kristen Bell or Natalie Portman as well?"

"Yes, because I'm sure me being related to them would be the only thing stopping you from getting their phone numbers."

"No, laws against hacking are the only thing stopping me from getting their phone numbers," Nightwing corrected before sobering. "What do you want, Batman?"

Dick's breath caught as the alley seemed to darken, his mentor growing even grimmer than usual. "There's a problem, a big problem," Gotham's most famous son began.

* * *

New York City, JSA HQ

Oliver waited for the door to open, when it did, the man stood in the doorway was the JSA's chairman, a man just under six feet tall with a muscled build and silvering blond hair, his eyes concealed by a black mask, and his red shirt adorned by the picture of a green lantern. "Oliver, please come in."

"Thank you Alan," Oliver nodded as he obeyed.

"It's good to see you," Alan pumped his hand.

"You won't be saying that in a few minutes," Oliver replied.

The face of the world's first Green Lantern fell. "It's as bad as that?"

"It's as bad as that," he confirmed.

Alan nodded brusquely. "Well everybody's assembled in the conference room. If you'd follow me…"

* * *

Luthor stared through the one-way glass window, eyes intent on the super-powered beings at the other side of the window. Some of them were amongst the super-powered community's most formidable, yet they were dwarfed by the power he could bring to bear, if only they were aware of that. Luthor smiled, but their awareness was the last thing he wanted for now. Luthor strode to the door and opened it, an oily smile on his lips. "Gentlemen, thanks for joining me. It's time to put our plans into action. Soon, it will be a very different world."

* * *

"Hello Ms. Lehane."

"Hey, Alfie," Faith beamed at the crusty old butler as he held the door open for her. "How's it hangin'?"

The old man smirked down at her. "The Master is in his base, Ms. Lehane."

"Ha," Faith chuckled. "Nice avoid. See ya, later Alfie."

"As always you brighten my day," Alfred half-bowed.

"Damn," Faith winked, "I bet you were a smoothie back in the 1960s."

"Oh yes," Alfred replied as he escorted her though Wayne Mansion, "myself and George Raft were notorious swordsman."

"Maybe you can give Xan some tips on smoothness," Faith grinned.

"I'll try Ms. Lehane, however one only has to work with what nature has given them."

"Ha!" Faith laughed. "You're a sly old fox."

"I try Ms. Lehane."

* * *

Bruce rubbed at his eyes as he inspected the data on the screen before him. He'd done his part, briefed the specified teams on their worries, but as always he felt like they weren't doing enough. And so he'd got all the attacks up on the screen, looking for a pattern that told him either where the mystery enemy would strike next, who they were, or failing that, just what their objectives were. Unfortunately there was no pattern, or at least no pattern he could see.

And then there was the attack on Faith. He was so tempted to break Drakon out of prison, and interrogate him personally, but that would come close to breaking his iron code. And if his instincts were right, Drakon's employer would be too smart to leave a trail that led back to him anyway.

"Ra's al Ghul," he growled and shook his head, eyes growing ice-cold as he considered his problematic former tutor. Deduction led him to one inescapable conclusion, anyone else who knew his identity would personally attack Faith as Bane had done, and of those who did know his identity, only Ghul had the resources to hire a killer the level of Drakon to kill Faith. Ghul's motivation was obvious; he felt that Faith would be an obstacle for his warped plans for him and Talia.

"I need proof," Bruce shook his head. He didn't need enough to convict, he just needed enough to convince himself. And then he and Ra's al Ghul would have one last meeting, and the master assassin would never be heard of again.

"Hey pops," his scowl was instantly replaced by a smile at his daughter's jaunty voice coming down the secret staircase that led to his underground base, "got one of your lady-friends threatening to claw my eyes out today."

"Oh," Bruce turned his chair around to face his daughter. "And who might that be?"

"Yeah," Faith's grin widened. "She seemed wicked protective of you, thought there was gonna be a cat-fight and everything. Now I know who I get my animal magnetism from."

Bruce chuckled. "You didn't answer my question."

"Her name was Selina Kyle," Faith casually dropped the bombshell square in his lap, then her brow furrowed. "She kinda hinted she knew that you were more than just a playboy, made some comments that if I was looking to con you, I'd end up surprised."

"I wouldn't worry about that," Bruce hid a smile. "I know Selina knows who I am, when I see her next I'll put her straight."

"Ah don't worry about it," Faith snorted. "She gives me any hassle, I'll deal with her."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Bruce warned. "Selina is a formidable opponent, even for a Slayer."

"She's one of you?" Faith's dark eyes widened. Is she Poision Ivy? Harley Quinn?" Faith shook her head. "No she was with the Joker when we caught him. 'Sides this woman was too put together for that nutcase. Catwoman? Huntress?"

"I keep your secret," Bruce raised a hand in supplication to dam the beauty's barrage of words. "Allow me to keep my own."

"Yeah," Faith pouted then nodded slowly. "Fair enough I guess."

"Not that I'm not delighted to see you, but was there any specific reason for this visit?" Bruce asked after a moment.

"Just," Faith swallowed, red briefly flaming in his daughter's sculpted cheeks, "just wanted to say last night was a real buzz. I liked it."

"As did I," Bruce nodded.

Faith regained her cocksure armour. "The family that fight crime together, stay together, right?"

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "I doubt that's a theory approved by the AAMFT."

Faith snorted. "What do they know?" The Slayer's eyes narrowed. "What ya workin' on?"

"I'm attempting to find a pattern or motivation behind the rash of 'natural disasters'," Bruce replied, any levity leaving him as his eyes returned to the flat screen before him.

"No luck hey?" Faith perched on the edge of his desk, dark eyes intent on him. "It's lucky we've gotta the likes of youse guys to help out with disaster relief then."

"Even so," Bruce scowled, "we're stretched thin."

* * *

Venezuela

J'onn scowled as he watched the mud sliding down the hill and towards the wooden villages, their people already fleeing for their lives, but their homes and belongings doomed.

Unless….

Martian Manhunter hit the ground at the foot of the hill, his knuckles driving deep into the ground, deeper and deeper. And then he was moving through the ground, mud yielding before his power, his flight only ending when he'd completely encircled the hill, completing a deep moat that might have taken a team of humans a week or so to dig.

J'onn smiled as he flew out and levitated to watch the mud started to drop into the hastily created ditch, preventing the destruction of so many homes. His smile withered as he considered the unpalatable fact that this crisis might well have ended, but there were so many more to prevent.

* * *

Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire

Robin Hood's legendary forest dated back to the last Ice Age and had stood against developers for decades but now a more ancient foe blighted it, destroying what had been the scene of much of England's rich history.

The unnatural flames crackled in his ears as Superman flew in-between the towering trees he sought to save, his chest expanding and deflating as he blew freezing air on the raging fire.

Even as he blew the licking flames out, Krypton's last son worried. This was the fourth fire he put out throughout England in the past 24 hours. In each case there was no apparent cause to be found. More of the unnatural natural disasters that had begun to plague the world. Thankfully no one had died in any of these occurrences, but it was only a matter of time.

* * *

New Zealand

The eons-dormant volcano shook as larva threatened to shoot out of it, but the trio of Green Lanterns hovered above it, their wills and rings powering the seal they'd placed on it, patiently waiting for the larva to give up its fight to free itself.

* * *

Arkham Asylum dominated the skyline like something out of an Edgar Allan Poe tale, a gothic nightmare that somehow added to Gotham's ominous reputation.

"Never mind busting into this place and getting these nutjobs out from security, what about him?"

'First' didn't have to ask his second just who 'he' was, so he didn't. "Our employer has assured me that the Bat will be distracted."

"Yeah, but-."

"Did our employer seem like the sort of man you could question?" First interrupted.

"All I know is he had enough resources to employ a thousand of us in groups of fifty to do jobs all over the world. You wanna ask questions, direct them at him. Otherwise concentrate on the job we're employed to do."

* * *

Circe licked her lips as she stared at the spell components before her and the arcane handwritten yellowed scroll in her hand. The Rite Of Inward Truths was a powerful ritual aimed at unlocking the suspected secrets of the being purporting to be the bald-headed billionaire genius leading their cabal. However it didn't come without certain risks, it was a subtle spell, an enchantment that only brushed against the spell's target, revealing but not intruding on their true essence.

But if the being was powerful enough, it might notice the spell. Worse, it was not a spell that could be easily tracked back to its caster, but really who else would Luthor expect to cast such a spell? Who else in Luthor's cabal was capable? They all had their strengths, magic was hers.

Yes, she was the only possible suspect.

But she had to know and if this spell was the avenue she needed to go down to find out, then so be it. Circe checked the other shielding spells she'd cast, took a deep breath and began.

Minutes later she let out a terrified gasp. Her spell had worked and with it a terrifying truth revealed, she was considered one of the world's most foremost magical powers, but she was a firefly next to the raging inferno that was Luthor.

Or rather the terrifying monster possessing Luthor.

"Once," she started as a fiery doorway materialised before her and Luthor strode out, "a very arrogant man abandoned the use of science and influence to battle his enemies, and sought to turn his considerable intellect to the manipulation and control to other-worldly entities. But this man, for all his immense intelligence lacked true wisdom and sought to control a power far, far beyond his capabilities. I took his mind and his soul for playthings, but kept his body and worldly resources for my own use." Circe found herself shivering when the being's gaze settled on her. "I had hoped you possessed the wisdom that Luthor lacked. I see I was too optimistic in that." The being shook his head. "Just now, when my attention cannot afford to be diverted, you give in to curiosity?" The being's hand cracked against her face, flinging her into the wall with enough force to dent it. "Curiosity killed the cat, and now, it shall kill you."

Horror filled her eyes as she looked up at the approaching creature. "Mercy, mercy." She begged even as she readied a spell.

"You know the stories, the arcane histories, better than most. I am never merciful, you have out-lived your usefulness, worse you have irritated me." The being's cackle rang out as her enchantment tore at and through him with little or no effect. "You have however amused me," his hand grabbed her hair, "and so your ending will be quick." Circe's scream died with her, her head yanked off her shoulders.


	16. Chapter 16

**FIC: Faith ****Wayne**** (16/?)**

Metropolis

Superman zig and zagged through the city's looming skyscrapers, telescopic vision searching for any trouble and concentrated on listening for shouts for help even as he struggled to find a pattern to the mysterious plague of natural disasters. Another part of his mind was considering his best friend and his new daughter. He was glad for his friend, but worried that his new contentment might seep into his crime-fighting and cause him to lose that edge that had made him so awed and feared throughout the criminal underworld.

Superman sighed as he flew under a tunnel. It seemed he and those he cared for were fated to never fully enjoy life, that there would always be down-sides to their triumphs, worries to taint their victories.

Suddenly he chuckled. He sounded more human than he'd ever realised.

He'd barely exited the tunnel and begun to regain altitude when scorching pain blazed through his head, tearing his senses from him. The wind whistled around him as he plunged to the ground.

And then he hit it, the tarmac cracking under him, creating a crater-sized hole. Superman leapt up, unshaken by his fall but his head still ringing from the attack. His eyes widened as he recognised the red-skinned mastodon with a webbed fin on top of his head and a third eye in the middle of his forehead advancing on him. "Despero," he growled.

* * *

Gotham City

Batman stalked through Gotham's shadowy alleys, as always careful to lurk in the darkness, ready to leap out on any unsuspecting criminal. Then some instinct had him falling onto the dirty ground and forward rolling into a crouch behind some trash cans even as brick chipped level with where his head had been.

A throaty chuckle greeted his escape. "Tactics dictated I had to take the shot, but I'm so glad you ducked it." Batman glanced through the trash cans to see a figure dropping from the roof opposite him, his heart dropping as he recognised the assassin's half-orange, half-blue mask and blue costume with orange gloves and boots, his tautly muscled torso criss-crossed with bandoliers of bullets, and an as yet sheathed broadsword buckled to his waist. "The chance to try myself against the Bat, well it's exhilarating."

Batman squared his jaw. Yes it could only be Deathstroke….

* * *

Fawcett City

Captain Marvel flew through the city, noting the way his home city's air seemed to hum with tension. Just what was happening?

"Ahhhh!" Blind instinct had him shielding himself a split-second after the blazing heat engulfed him. Pain blazed through him as he fell, not even the chill of recognising his attacker enough to force away the pain of Cyborg Superman's heat vision.

* * *

Star City

Green Arrow crouched on the rooftop, peering over the edge to check out the busy streets. His back prickled uneasily prompting him to spin around, heart dropping as he recognised the towering mastodon stood watching him at the roof's far end, the man's face concealed by a black and white mask, his hulking-muscled physique clothed in a black singlet and matching trousers. Green Arrow felt a shiver run through him as he rose and glared at the monstrous man. "Bane."

"The same," Bane rumbled. "I've some pleasure to finish with the Bat's pretty little child, but first business, namely your butchering."

* * *

Metropolis

Wonder Woman was naught but a blur as she flew through the city, the air around her parting before her inexorable progress as she raced towards the now smouldering Stryker Island Penitentiary. Suddenly her flight was reversed when she crashed into a yellow shield with enough force to fling her backwards and through a twelfth floor window. Glass flew everywhere as she hit the carpet and rolled up to face the figure flying towards her.

* * *

Detroit

Martian Manhunter shook his head as he continued to fly through the derelict, depression-stained city that had once been the automobile and music capital of America. His physic abilities made him more sensitive to the coming troubles than other heroes who had only the facts to rely on and what he felt made him quake inside.

His eyes widened as he sensed a very alien, very powerful presence nearby. Even as he sent out an urgent message for assistance, he dived towards the malign presence, teeth baring as he recognised the gigantic, yellow-skinned figure carelessly blasting cars and buildings with the energy weapon mounted on his barrel chest. "Mongul."

This would not be an easy battle.

* * *

Metropolis

Despero charged him, heedlessly knocking speeding cars out of the way like they were little more than toys. Superman's eyes widened when a gallant fire-fighter drove his engine directly at the rampaging alien, only for the vehicle to bounce off the monster's shoulder like a high school running-back off a NFL linebacker.

Rage burnt through Superman's veins as he charged to meet the alien, ducking under a straight right only to catch a jarring left hook to the jaw. The punch had enough force to rip a normal human's head off their shoulders, but didn't even knock him back a step, his own fists pounding out a rhythm on the alien's belly.

Superman saw another hook speeding towards him, blocked it on his forearm, then grabbed the alien's thigh-thick forearm at the wrist and elbow, and tried to leverage his attacker to the ground. The moment Despero was forced onto one knee, pain exploded in Superman's head, forcing him to release his grip as he staggered backwards. Despero laughed as he drove a side thrust-kick into Superman's midsection. Air gusted out of his lungs as he was lifted from his feet and flung into a lamppost twenty feet behind, tearing it out of the concrete. Superman caught the lamppost in his hand as he fell into a crouch, and swung it at his merciless rival's head.

Despero staggered as the post smashed against his head but kept on coming. Superman dropped his makeshift weapon and jumped forward, catching his fellow alien with a swinging uppercut even as Despero caught him with a hook to the jaw.

Superman stumbled, the blow's force knocking him back a step. Despero's knee swung up at his gut, Superman looped his arm under the knee and pulled up. Despero dropped onto his back, the tarmac cracking with the collision's impact. Superman stepped forward, but as fast as he was, Despero still managed to catch him with a double heel to the gut.

Pain exploded in his belly as he reeled backwards, giving his adversary time to leap up and begin a blistering barrage of blows, some that he managed to block on his arms others he managed to slip inside or outside of, but too many that caught him, exploding off his frame.

Finally Superman fell to a knee, Despero hovering over him. Despair flooded him, making him shake with terror at this unbeatable monster beating him down.

Rage flooded through him as he realised it wasn't enough for Despero to break him with his fists, he had to break him mentally. He surged up, catching the bigger alien with a shoulder to the throat. The moment the alien stepped back a step, Superman slammed a heel in its gut, knocking the alien back another step.

A trio of Wildcat-taught and Kryptonian-powered jabs slammed into Despero's features. The red-skinned alien threw a retaliatory hook but Superman managed to duck under it and crash a right into his belly. Then the alien had a hand in his hair, pulling him down onto repeated knees into the face.

Dazed, Superman pushed his hands into the alien's thick torso and forced some distance between him and his rival. Then an uppercut crashed into his jaw, knocking him onto his back. Then blow after blow smashed into him, brutalising him.

* * *

Gotham City

Batman grabbed at the near-by trash can lids and flung them at the charging warrior. The mercenary slid in and out of the projectiles without missing a step, his grace extra-ordinary, finishing with a leap over the objects and at Batman, Batman coming up with a thudding brass-knuckled uppercut to Deathstroke's jaw.

At least that was the theory but somehow Deathstroke managed to twist away from his attack and bring up a high knee that he also somehow managed to slide away from. Deathstroke's teeth flashed in the stygian darkness as the assassin landed in a crouch beside him. "This is going to be fun."

Batman didn't respond, he was too busy throwing a karate chop that Deathstroke blocked on his shoulder, then somehow sidestepping a body shot, and ducking under an attempted elbow to the head. That was all it took to realise the killer's reflexes and skills were beyond even his.

Batman felt despair bite deep as he leapt into his rival, he had so much to live for now, a daughter to get to know, he wasn't going to die. His knee thrust up, pain exploding in his leg when Deathstroke deflected the blow with a karate chop to the thigh, but not his follow-up forearm to the face.

The two of them fell away from one another, rocked by their respective hurts. But then they sprang back at one another, like two rams eager to lock horns.

Batman went high, then changed to low, locking his arms around the assassin's waist and flung him backwards into the other wall even as the man drove a knee up into his chest and a karate chop down into his shoulder. Pain jarred through him, but Batman fought it off to rise, spring away from his rival, pull a pellet out of his utility belt and throw it to his adversary's feet.

Smoke gusted up, enveloping his rival as he darted forward, stepped behind the man and threw a backhand to the man's neck, meaning to frazzle his nerves. Then grunted as the man's hand came up and grabbed his forearm in a clasp of iron. "Nice try Batman," his grip still on Batman's arm, holding him in place, the assassin spun to face him and drove a knee into Batman's back.

The co-ordination and strength left Batman's legs plunging him to his knees, Batman rolled onto his back, grabbing the foot stomping down at his face, and twisting. The assassin let out a strangled groan as he stumbled backwards, Batman reaching up behind him to grab at the worn wall and pull himself back up, feeling returning to his lower limbs.

Deadstroke leaned away from his hastily drawn and flung Batarang before leaping at him with a thrust-heel kick that he sidestepped, his arm looping around the leg and yanking the man towards him. His other fist crashed into his rival's gut, and then the assassin had him in a front face-lock, darkness exploding before his eyes.

* * *

Fawcett City

Captain Marvel crashed into the flat roof of a six storey building with enough impact that he fell through it, timber and tiles showering him as he fell through each and every floor until crashing to the ground. "Aaaah," Captain Marvel had barely forced himself up to his knees, limbs shaking with the effort, when the wall to his left exploded, Cyborg Superman's arrival van-guarded by flying concrete. And then Cyborg Superman hit him with a battering ram's power, flinging him through the left wall, Cyborg Superman's fists pummelling him as the office block collapsed behind them, dust billowing up.

Captain Marvel crashed into the side of a parked car, the door denting under the impact. Captain Marvel fell onto his back, reached under the car, grabbed a hold, and flung the family sedan at his rampaging adversary then flew up into the air when Cyborg Superman palmed the vehicle and flung it back at him.

The two of them crashed together in mid-air, the air seeming to vibrate with the collision, Captain Marvel crashed a knee into Cyborg, the blow knocking his rival back a foot.

And then Cyborg Superman exploded a hook against his jaw, the blow's impact flinging him into and through an office's fourth floor wall. Even as he rose on slightly shaky legs, Cyborg's heat vision hit him, scorching every inch. Marvel ignored the blazing pain as he launched himself into the air, smashing into the cyborg and knocking him to the ground.

The cyborg bounced up and hit him with a barrage of blows that had him reeling, knocking him to the ground. Cyborg Superman snatched up a parked van and crashed it down on his head.

The impact drove him to his knees and before he could react the cyborg was driving the vehicle down again and again.

* * *

Star City

Green Arrow didn't even have to think, instinct taking over as he reached into his quiver and snatched out an arrow, flinging it at the charging behemoth. The massively-muscled villain swayed away from the flung projectile without pausing in his advance.

Bane was less than a foot away when Green Arrow launched himself into the air, his hands looping around the bigger man's head and pulling him down into a double knee to the chest. Bane just grunted as he rammed a rib-bruising left hook home.

Green Arrow gasped as he fell to the roof's gravel, the air leaving his body as he rolled away from Bane's stomping. His heart chilled as he realised how close to the roof's edge he was.

* * *

Metropolis

The moment she made her feet, Wonder Woman was blocking energy blast

after energy blast on her vambraces. The blows forced her back as her rival flew at her, her arms a blur as she parried the blows away, the blasts bouncing off into the walls and ceiling, one of the walls crashing down in a billowing cloud of dust.

And then the ceiling collapsed, burying her under the rubble.


	17. Chapter 17

**FIC: Faith ****Wayne**** (17/?)**

Arkham Asylum

The Joker's manic cackle rang around the corridor at the sound of gunfire. A breakout, he did love a good breakout! The corridor's door cashed open and a group of night-camouflage wearing men strode in, sub-machine guns grasped in gloved hands. The Joker started dancing around his cell, excitement pulsing through his veins. He laughed as the men surrounded his cell door. "Let me out! Let me out!" he trilled.

"Sorry," his eyes widened as a gun's muzzle was stuck through the bars of his cell door, "but our boss doesn't want any wild cards." Fire blazed out of the gun, crashing into him, tearing through him as he spun around and crashed to the floor, blood soaking the ground under him.

* * *

Arkham Asylum

"Dent!" the door to his cell crashed open. "Time to go, we're making a break for it."

Two-Face glanced down at the coin in his hand. "I can't, just tossed it, coin says I stay."

* * *

"Hey Xan!" Faith burst into her boyfriend's office. "Have you see the TV? There's been a major breakout at Arkham, everyone's out!" Xander's mouth opened, but she continued on before he could comment. "I tried callin' Pops, but Alf said he was out patrollin'. We have to be out there, helping people!"

Xander shook his head. "Oh no, that's not our -."

Faith grabbed hold of the desk as she leaned over and went eye to eye with her boy-friend. "You tellin' me helpin' people ain't our job?"

"I'm telling you leaning over the desk in a low-cut top is distracting," Xander joked then sighed at her unyielding glare. "I'm telling you, our priority is dealing with the supernatural-."

"Damn it Xan!" Faith snapped. "You're not tellin' me we should be hidin' under our beds!"

"No, you and me should be hiding in our bed-," Xander threw up his hands at her scowl. "Fine, fine, we go out, but in the usual trio patrols, we avoid the criminals, and concentrate on helping people who've been injured in the chaos, relief work."

"Relief work?" Faith shook her head. "You've gotta be shittin' me!"

"Faith," Xander seemed to struggle to find the words for whatever he wanted to say, "what would you do if I tried to fight the First Prime of Apophis?"

"Kick your ass, and by the way I still hate you for making me watch all of Stargate so I know who Teal'c is," Faith replied before grinning ruefully. "But you made your point, relief only." Xander nodded as he rose and reached for your jacket. "What are ya doin'?"

"I'm coming with you to supervise," Xander replied.

Faith opened her mouth to argue then remembered there was only one person more mule-headed than her, and that was her honey. "Hurry then."

* * *

Metropolis

Wonder Woman burst through the rubble then let out an unholy scream as yellow energy blasted into her face, knocking her onto her back, pain blistering through her. Blood roared in her ears as she struggled to raise her arms, place her bracelets between her and the agony coursing through her.

And then just like that the pain disappeared.

Wonder Woman blinked her eyes clear to see Wonder Girl and Power Boy battling Sinestro, dodging in and out of his blasts. Forcing her legs under control she leapt forward, catching the alien with a right hook that sent him crashing into a wall. She was on the alien before he could react, grabbing his ring hand and squeezing, bone cracked and shattered together with the ring, leaving him powerless.

Wonder Woman stumbled away, weariness filling her. "Thank you for your help," she looked towards her rescuers. "He shouldn't be any problem now. I'd appreciate it if you took him to pris-." Wonder Woman noted the duo's fraught expressions. "What?"

* * *

Detroit

Martian Manhunter bombarded his adversary with telepathic attacks as he flew towards him, cape billowing in the wind. And then they crashed together, Mongul's punches crashing through him, his teeth jarring with every blow's impact.

Then he caught the mammoth alien with a thudding uppercut, the alien's head snapping back. Mongul's retaliatory hook exploded against the side of his head, his equilibrium vanishing before the ferocious attack.

Martian Manhunter ducked another left, both hands shooting up to grab his rival's thick forearm as it flew overhead. The moment his fingers closed on the massive forearm, he lifted overhead, flinging his larger adversary into a clothes shop front. Martian Manhunter spun around in time to see Mongul hit the glass front and charged in to finish off his adversary.

"Aaaah!" he screamed as the beam from the alien's chest weapon hit him, every bone and muscle protesting as pain tore through him, knocking him into a parked truck, the momentum flipping the vehicle onto its side. Before he could rise Mongul was hitting him, blow after blow pounding him into oblivion.

"Allow me to assist." Suddenly a fist crashed into the side of Mongul's head, knocking him off Martian Manhunter.

"Thank you," Martian Manhunter rasped as he recognised the figure bombarding Mongul with a flurry of punches and kicks as the Kryptonian, the Eradicator. Leaping up, he flew into Mongul, clipping him with his shoulder on the alien's knee.

The road fractured under the impact of the alien falling to the ground, but in the same second Mongul was back up but retreating under their combined attack. "Let us take it from here."

Martian Manhunter looked up when a green glow enveloped the rampaging Mongul, a smile pulling at his lips as he recognised Hal Jordan, Kyle Rayner, and John Stewart hovering overhead. "Thank you for your -." His smile withered as he read John's mind. "Oh dear."

* * *

Fawcett City

Blood filled Marvel's eyes as Cyborg Superman continued in his unceasing bombardment, every blow adding to the agony. Then suddenly the car fell away, leaving a groggy Marvel to look up to see Captain Atom assailing his adversary.

Cyborg Superman threw a looping right that Atom ducked under before ramming an uppercut into the robot's jaw, the blow connecting with enough force to lift the Cyborg from his feet and fling him up into the air and through a billboard.

Marvel forced his still shaky body under control and flew at the falling super-villain, hitting him side on and into the side of an apartment building. The cyborg crashed through the wall to land on the lounge floor, but then Marvel was on him. Blood still dripping from him, Marvel grabbed hold of the cyborg by his shoulder and leg, lifted him up, staggered under a blow to the torso and flung the cyborg out to Captain Atom who grabbed the cyborg in mid-air and threw him down, and through the roof of a car.

Even as the cyborg impacted the automobile, Captain Marvel flew over to Captain Atom. "Thank you for your assistance, however I am at a loss as to how we can imprison him."

"Perhaps," Red Tornado flew up to them, "I can be of assistance. I have been working on a capsule that would imprison Amazo should he ever return. It would be ideal for Cyborg Superman."

"That sounds ideal," Marvel nodded. "Thank you."

Star City

Green Arrow kicked out, driving his heel into Bane's ankle even as he reached out and grabbed the giant's other foot and pulled. Bane cursed and stumbled towards the edge, but failed to fall. "Nice try- ahhhh!" Bane toppled forward when Green Arrow kicked out and hard, catching him in his elephantine left hamstring.

Climbing to his feet he looked over the edge to where Bane had splattered into the pavement. "It's not the fall that kills you, it's the landing every time," he muttered.

* * *

Metropolis

Superman pulled his knee up into his chest and kicked out, his foot slamming into Despero's stomach knocking the gigantic alien from him. Superman leapt up and attempted to shake his head clear only to be forced back on the defensive by another blistering attack, his forearms aching from blocking the powerful blows. Suddenly he saw an opening, and quick as thought itself darted in, straight right crashing into the alien's throat.

Despero grunted and stumbled backwards, Superman started after his stunned enemy only to fall back when a wave of agony crashed over him, his very bones seeming to burn.

And then a hammer crashed into the side of Despero's head, knocking him off balance. "Need a help, Supes?" John Henry Irons queried as he swung his hammer back in, steel armour gleaming.

Despero swatted the sledge-hammer away, darting in to backhand the human hero into and through a near-by park's iron railings. "Your allies won't help you now-, ahhhh!" The alien let out a scream as he was bathed in a blood-red glow.

"Are you sure about that?" Superman looked up in time to see Super-Girl and Super-Boy hovering over the gigantic alien, blasting him with heat-vision. Leaping forward, he caught his distracted rival with a looping overhand right to the forehead that knocked him on the back.

* * *

Gotham City

Black dots forming before his eyes, Batman hooked his arms around the assassin's waist, bent his knees and then powered up, lifting the hired killer over his head and flinging head first into the wall behind.

At least that was the plan, Batman spun around in time to see Deathstroke twist in mid-air, catch the wall feet-first and spring-board off it at him. Batman cursed as he dropped to his knees and pulled his head down, Deathstroke sailing overhead and crashing to the ground. Batman leapt up and turned to his adversary in time to manage to duck under a straight right and retaliate with an uppercut to the jaw that saw the assassin's lights briefly dim then flare again as he charged back in. Batman's knee shot up, catching the hired killer in the gut as he snatched at the assassin's lead arm and started to turn into a judo throw.

Pain exploded in his kidneys when Deathstroke caught him with a hammering hook. And then an arm was around his neck, choking him from behind. Darkness closed in around him.

"Damn it dad! I didn't go through all this shit to lose you now!"

His daughter's voice inside his head sparked something, recollections of what he might lose if he didn't fight harder perhaps. Whatever the reason, he kicked off the refuse strewn ground, driving the hired killer backwards and into the wall behind. Deathstroke grunted as he crashed into the brick, Batman letting out a rattling gasp as he gulped in air, his right elbow driving backwards and into his rival's gut.

And then he was spinning to face his rival, driving his head down and into Deathstroke's face, bone shattering in this collision, his punches beating out a brutal tattoo on the assassin's ribs, ignoring the varying attempted karate chops by his adversary. A knee to the groin later and Deathstroke plunged to the ground, easy victim to a kick to the chin that had his head bouncing off the concrete as his jaw cracked.

"Looks like you didn't need my help after all and I was feelin' all kinds of noble too."

Batman forced himself to straighten, decades of self-discipline allowing to temporarily at least ignore the hurt raging through his battered body. "Selina," he gazed up at the rooftop and to the lithe, leather-clad figure crouched there, "I think we need to talk don't you?"

"Ohhhh," Catwoman shivered, "I just love that school-mastery tone, Bruce." Catwoman leapt off the roof, her long mane billowing behind her as she dropped to the ground. "Please say you're going to spank me."

Batman glared at the mostly-reformed super-villainess. "She's my daughter, Selina. I appreciate your concern, but I doubt Faith would react so well to your questioning a second time."

Selina flashed him a coy smile so unsuited for her beautiful features. "Are you saying she has claws?"

"Like you wouldn't imagine," Batman crouched over the downed assassin, quickly cuffed his legs and arms, then for extra insurance injected a sedative. "I approached her, she's the spit of her mother twenty-five years ago."

Something, jealousy, envy, flickered in Catwoman's eyes. "And she couldn't be a plant, a plastic surgery or cloning copy by one of your enemies? Or a con-woman after your money?"

Batman shook his head. "There's things you don't know about her that would make such an effort hugely problematic not to mention counter-productive."

"Nicely vague." Selina sighed when he didn't react to the snarkily put prompt. "What's it like? What's she like?"

"What do you think she's like?" Batman challenged as he continued divesting the downed killer of his assorted weaponry.

"Strong-willed, confident, full of life," Selina replied. "And don't change the subject."

Batman chuckled. "She's all of that and brave," he shook his head. "She had a terrible start to her life but she still believes in helping people, is still courageous enough to put her trust in others."

"And what about her criminal record?" Selina challenged.

"If I was you I wouldn't bring that up, especially given your past." Batman spun to face his sometime girl-friend. "There's things about those murders no-one knows about."

"Okay, okay," Catwoman backed away from his anger. Batman took a calming breath before turning back to Deathstroke and lifting the limp body over his shoulder. "Where are you going?"

"Arkham," he curtly replied.

"Oh boy," Catwoman said. "Haven't you heard?"

Batman turned to face his rival\friend\lover. "Heard what?"


	18. Chapter 18

**Fic: Faith ****Wayne**** (18/?)**

"Leave me alone!" the girl squealed as she stumbled down the street, fires crackling and smoke billowing everywhere, as alarms and sirens blared in the air.

"Not likely baby," drawled Levi Anderson as he and three others of the 'West Street Wildmen', stalked down the pretty blonde honky as she stumbled into a refuse-strewn alley, discarded newspapers floating around it. "We are gonna have REAL good time together!"

As they entered the alley, Anderson sensed someone behind them. His heart pounded as he spun around, only to relax at the sight of a smoky-eyed, strangely familiar brunette. "Hey honey," he said, "don't I know you?"

The dark-eyed beauty's full lips parted in a smirk. "Your worst nightmares maybe."

* * *

"When I said we could help keep a lid on things, this wasn't what I had in mind," Xander complained as they strode from the alley, these thugs the fifth lot they'd lured into an alley, knocked out, and hog-tied so they'd be out of the way until things settled down.

"What?" Faith queried as she gingerly dabbed at the blood trickling down her boy-friend's face. "You figured we'd be out helpin' little old ladies across the street?"

"No, I figured we'd be helping pull people out of rubble, that sorta thing," Xander replied.

"Yeah, 'cause I grew up with such a love for social workers," Faith shook her head. "Come on stud."

"Aaaaah!"

Faith's head snapped towards a tenement building. "Janice!" Faith snapped. "Stay with Xan, Erin, with me!" Without waiting for Xander to argue, Faith sped across the street, the Irish-American red-head racing behind her.

In seconds Faith was bursting through the building's entrance and into its shadowy environs. Lewd and colourful graffiti adorned the walls and the passageway reeked of sweat, piss, and excrement as Faith entered the stairwell, but Faith barely noticed as she raced up the worn steps and towards the continuing screams, her fellow Slayer a half-step behind.

Faith was still running as she made the third floor landing, her foot splintering the rotten doorway open as she rushed into the tatty apartment so like the one she'd grown up in. Except this one, this one had signs of love and care that her mom had never bothered with.

Faith burst into the apartment's kitchen, heart shrivelling as she noted the young woman 'bout her age, but worn down by life, lying on the kitchen's floor, two sobbing children knelt in the woman's blood. Faith's eyes narrowed as her enhanced hearing picked up the sound of someone rattling on the fire escape outside the kitchen's open window. "Mother-fucker," Faith's snarl was barely recognisable to her ears as the world seemed to turn crimson. "Erin, stay with the kids 'til Xander gets here-."

"You told Xander to sta-."

"You think Xan will listen?" Faith shot her companion a wry grin as she jumped onto the sink beside the window. "You really haven't been payin' attention, have you?"

What little amusement she felt fled as she climbed out of the window and onto the fire escape catwalk to see the knife-wielding blond drop off the fire escape's last rungs and hit the alleyway in a crouch, dirty water splashing as he rushed off.

"Oh no, you fucking don't," Faith muttered as she grabbed a hold of the escape's iron railing and one hand vaulted over the escape's guardrail, "I've fallen way further than this!"

Her mane billowed around her as she plunged down, landing on the ground in a fett-apart, knees-bent crouch just feet behind the knifeman, dirty water splashing underfoot. The bald man who spun to face her was short and wiry with dead eyes staring out of an angular face and a goatee. "Another girl, another bitch to cut up."

Faith chuckled at the man's hiss. "That's supposed to be scary?" Faith threw her head back and laughed, then levelled a cold-eyed glare at the man. "I've been playing in the big leagues for years."

The man hissed again before leaping at her, daggers glinting as the downpour splashed off them, puddles splashing underfoot. Faith laughed again as she slid inside the right dagger slashing at her face then back-handed the other away by punching her rival's left wrist. Then she stepped into the man and drove the top of her head up and into the man's mouth.

Teeth crunched as blood flew from the man's mouth. Tears flew from the man's eyes as his head snapped back, then doubled up when Faith drove her foot up and into the man's crotch.

One knife clattered to the rain-soaked ground while the other still slashed at her. Faith smiled sadistically as she darted in before reaching down to grab the hand of the other arm and twisted against the grain until the bone snapped and the knife fell, Faith's knee to the man's face cutting off his pained scream.

Faith snarled as the man's knees began to buckle under her ferocious attack. "Not yet, you sick fucka!" Faith bellowed as she reached down, grabbed the back of the man's neck and flung him into the wall before spinning side on and shooting a side heel kick into the man's chest, ribs splintering under the impact.

The knifeman slumped against the wall, eyes glassy as she charged in, caught him with an uppercut that broke his jaw, snapped his head back to crack into the concrete, then slid to the ground, easy target to a series of blindingly fast kicks and stamps to the torso.

* * *

Batman leapt from roof to roof, heart racing as he glanced around, the raucous orchestra of a city in chaos filling his ears. He had to find her, make sure she was alright.

"Come on ya fucker! Thought you were tough taking a knife to a mom!" His daughter's barely human snarl reached his ears. "Try me, bitcha!"

Batman raced in the direction of the voice, leaping off the edge of one building and onto the roof of a lower one before dropping off it and onto the fire escape half-way up it. Ignoring the impact reverberating through his body, teeth gritted against the pain, Batman raced down the steps to confront his daughter in the narrow alley.

The man Faith was kicking field goals with had two swollen-shut eyes, his nose squashed flat across his face, his jaw hung limply and blood ran from his mouth, crimson staining what teeth remained. All his limbs looked to be either dislocated or broke, or both. Batman bit back a gasp as he just about recognised the mangled mess at Faith's blood-splattered feet. "Zsasz."

Faith didn't turn at his grunt, choosing instead to stamp on the serial killer's left knee, snapping it like a twig. Zsasz's scream turned to a strangled grunt when Faith kicked him in the throat.

Then Faith spun to face him, dark flames flaring in his daughter's eyes. "You know this fucker?"

Batman managed to stand his ground. "Yes, he's Zsasz, a serial killer of primarily young women."

If anything his daughter's eyes burnt even hotter. "You know this and this nut-job is still walkin' around?"

"It's not my duty to punish criminals only to apprehend them," Batman replied. "I've caught him a number of times but he always managed to escape."

"Then why in the hell didn't you make sure he wasn't able to escape?" Faith snapped. "You figure your responsibility ends when you hand 'em over to the pigs?"

"Faith," Batman tried for his most reasonable tone, "you're not saying anything I haven't considered for myself."

"Well consider this," Faith snapped, "how many people has this piece of shit murdered on his escapes? 'Cause every one of their deaths is on your head as well as his!"

"I have a line I won't cross," Batman replied, stung by the accusation. "I won't become them, I won't kill."

There wasn't an accusation in his words, but nevertheless Faith flinched, her face paling as she stumbled backwards. "You bast-."

"Hey!" Batman stumbled as a rock bounced off the back of his head, pain blazing through his head. Spinning around, he saw a trio of Faith's Slayers racing towards him, led by a thin red-head. "This might be your city!" the red-head snarled in an strongly Irish accent. "But that's our leader and you wanna fark off before we rip that cape off and shove it up your farking arse!"

Batman grimaced, stymied by the teens' arrival. He wanted, no make that needed, to continue this conversation with Faith, but couldn't without revealing to the newcomers that he and Faith were more than just passing acquaintances. "Thank you for your assistance," he nodded at Faith, "I'll take Zsasz in to the proper authorities."

Faith didn't reply, just crossed her arms and glared molten at him.

* * *

Xander looked at his girl-friend as they entered their room. She hadn't said much, make that anything, since they'd returned home two hours ago, but he could tell Faith was steaming, and from the other girls' chatter he could guess what it was. "Now normally," Xander tried for a light tone but guessed he wasn't entirely successful, "I'd suggest we'd jump into the shower and get all this ash, dust, and," he winced, "blood off us. But I figure you need to talk." Faith grunted and continued pacing back and forth across the bedroom floor. "Faith, what happened with Bat-, with your dad?"

Faith spun to face him. "Ya don't wanna know."

"And yet," Xander smiled, "I'm asking."

"Fine, I went a little nutso when I found that dead mom and her kids," Faith shrugged. "Don't regret it mind, but I really kicked the shit outta the murdering fucker. My dad turned up at the end of his beating, we got into an argument where he accused me more or less as bein' as bad as the bastard!"

"He did what!" Xander's remaining eye hardened to ebony stone. "What did he say exactly?"

"That here was a line he wasn't gonna cross in protecting people and that if he killed he'd be as bad as them," Faith glanced down at her boots, "as bad as me."

"Did he actually say that?" Xander queried, his soft tone concealing his anger.

"Well not the actual last bit," Faith shrugged again. "The girls came in and broke everything up." Faith's teeth flashed, her dimples deepening. "Man, you should have seen them. There's the freakin' Batman, the Dark Knight, but they ain't takin' a back-step! For me!"

Xander smiled at Faith's passion. "They love you."

"I guess." Faith flushed crimson.

"Hey," Xander took Faith into his grasp, leaned down and kissed her forehead, "sometimes the best families are the ones you make yourself. If you want to cut your dad out, that's fine. You've still got all of us."

"Thanks, Xan." Faith's nose wrinkled, a reassuringly familiar twinkle entering her eyes. "Now 'bout that shower?"

* * *

"Sir," Alfred rose as his master entered the Batcave, "I've been watching things in Gotham, it seemed hectic."

"It was," the Batman grunted as he leapt out of the Batmobile, a nigh on thunderous scowl etched across his face.

"Sir, if I might enquire to your disquiet?"

"I ran into Faith out there-."

"Good lord," Alfred interrupted, his heart catching, the impish brunette having wormed her way into his heart, "she hadn't been hurt has she?"

"No," Bruce pulled off his mask. "She was the one doing the hurting." Alfred waited for his employer and friend to clarify. "You remember Zsasz?" Alfred nodded, he was a particularly nasty serial killer. "Well he'd escaped in the current chaos and butchered a young mother. Unfortunately for him, Faith had caught him, and was busy dissecting him."

"Dissecting him?" Alfred queried.

"By the time I got there, Zsasz had four broken ribs, two shattered knee-caps, one dislocated shoulder, two broken wrists, a separated retina, several knocked-out teeth, a shattered jaw, a broken nose, and a severe concussion," Batman replied. Alfred winced. He had absolutely no sympathy for the murderous serial killer, but that litany of injuries was shuddering to say the least. "When I tried to remonstrate with her about the excessiveness of her capture, an argument developed." Bruce sighed. "When Faith demanded how many killers I'd stopped, I said it wasn't my place to punish, merely apprehend, I wouldn't lower myself to their levels."

"Sir," Alfred chose his words carefully, "perhaps your remarks were indecorous?"

"I didn't mean to compare Faith to Zsasz, even when she killed, she was a wounded, emotionally damaged child who'd never had any guidance," Bruce replied, his voice weary. "Although in one way, Faith does make my point for me."

"I trust you didn't say that," Alfred wondered aloud.

"I didn't get the chance," Bruce shook his head. "It's actually a compliment to her. I don't feel I have the right to kill, because at any time a human being, might realise the error of their ways and redeem themselves just as she did. That's why I don't kill, not through a lack of will, I don't have the right to decide someone won't\can't change."

"Perhaps that's what you should say to her?" Alfred suggested.

"I will if she'll see me."

* * *

Location Unknown

Ra's al Ghul glared impotently at the computer screen before him. Impotency wasn't something he was used to. In all his years as leader of the League of Assassins he'd been feared, known both for his resourcefulness and his ruthlessness. And yet a tiny girl continued to balk him, an obstacle for his plans for Wayne.

And then there was the carnage consuming the world. Normally such devastation engulfing the self-styled governments of the globe would amuse him greatly, but he sensed an unsettlingly malign influence pulling the strings from the shadows. Something about this presence unnerved even him.

Still, a thin smile tugged at his lips, this chaos presented a certain opportunity. If Constantine Drakon could not take Faith Lehane\Wayne on his own, perhaps several non-League affiliated assassins, each hired by a different independent agent, could do the job in an ambush.

"Yes," he leaned forward and began typing at his computer's keyboard, any command he sent going through encrypted lines, layers of passworded security, and several dummy accounts making it nigh impossible for his agents outside of the League Of Assassins to discover who their employer truly was.

And any who tried would disappear permanently.

* * *

The JLA Watchtower

Batman strode into the polished floored conference hall to see many of his friends had already arrived. "Sorry for my lateness," he apologised. "Chasing down a few criminals who'd escaped during the riot."

"How is Gotham City?" Martian Manhunter queried.

"More or less under control," Batman replied. "Have you recovered from the attack on you?"

"Yes thank you," Martian Manhunter smiled. "And yourself?"

"Fine thank you," Batman took his seat. "Now to business, has anyone considered the true purpose behind the mass prison attacks and the attacks on us?"

"Couldn't the attacks be just what they seem?" Black Canary queried, her eyes intense. "Just an attempt to seed chaos throughout the world?"

"No," Batman shook his head, "there has to be a darker purpose, there were too many resources expelled for it to be just about chaos. There has to be a greater game."

"What a cheery mind you have," Wonder Woman said with a slight smile.

"I've had decades of living with it," Batman replied. "We need to be looking for robberies that were done under the cover of the mass escapes, perhaps of scientific equipment that put together could make a weapon. Or a prisoner who escaped during the prison escapes that hasn't been captured, but who has an unique talent or ability that would make him valuable to a villain. Or an illegal transaction that we missed in the chaos."

"You're definitely ruling out it being the Joker behind this?" Green Arrow queried. "Just for the kicks?"

"The Joker doesn't have the funds or the resources to pull off this operation," Superman commented. "The list of villains who could do this is pretty short – Ras'al Ghul, Lex Luthor, Vandal Savage, Brainiac, General Immortus, maybe a couple of others."

"If we find the motivation behind this attack, we'll be one step closer to finding whose behind it," Martian Manhunter commented.

"Perhaps it links into all the supernatural problems we've been experiencing."

Batman looked towards Hal Jordan. "That's a possibility," he replied. A possibility he hadn't considered. Clearly his estrangement with his daughter was distracting him even more than he'd feared.

"Here's how we'll progress from this point," Superman said. "First, Batman I want you to contact Oracle and see if she can run up a model of illegal transactions, speciality thefts, and that sort of thing that were done under the cover of the recent chaos. Second, have her see if anything links to the supernatural threats." Superman looked around. "The other super-hero teams need to be alerted to this threat, and we need to investigate the villains with the possible resources to engineer this operation."

Batman spoke the words he'd been considering for hours but dreading to say. "Superman, you need to be ready to travel to the future and bring the Legion back if we need them."

"You think things might get that bad?" Flash gasped.

"I think they might."

"Perhaps you could go anyway," Green Arrow suggested. "And ask them for information about this Heavenly Schism as well as the mass escapes."

"Then you start getting into maintaining the time-line and complexities like that," Martian Manhunter shook his oval head. "They'll probably not give us any information." Martian Manhunter pursed his lips. "However it's worth considering. At the least you can alert them to us possibly calling them on at some time in the future."

Superman nodded. "I'll get on it as soon as we've finished here."

After a few more minutes the meeting was over. Batman rose and strode to the exit. "Batman!" He stopped and glanced over his shoulder as Wonder Woman strode up to him. "Is your daughter alright?"

Bruce's heart caught. He nodded stiffly. "She was fine the night of the riots."

"And since?" Diane's searching gaze bored into his heart.

"We had words, I've not seen her since."

"Bruce-."

"I know," Batman interrupted. "I'm just struggling to decide what to say."

"What you say isn't as important as just being there for her," his friend counselled.


	19. Chapter 19

**Fic: Faith ****Wayne**** (19/?)**

Superman swayed as he arrived in the 30th century, the effects of time displacement far more easily thrown off than the Hall Of Heroes' grandeur, its polished, gleaming roof, and most of all, the holograms of heroes inspired by his generation, that hadn't even been born in his time.

"Clark," Lightning Lad rushed into the hall, a small smile splitting the younger hero's face. "It is a honour to see you!"

"And you Garth," Superman hid his discomfort at the younger man's hero worship behind a tight smile. "I've come for help."

"Well," Garth's eyes grew guarded. "We have to be careful of -."

"The timeline, I know," Superman interrupted as they hurried out of the Hall, smiling and nodding at any and all enthused greetings from heroes who'd grown up idolising his legend. "But I don't know if I don't ask."

"Of course, Clark." Garth led him into a sparsely furnished office, the door sliding soundlessly shut behind him. "How may I help you?"

"I'm here seeking information about an upcoming event called the Heavenly Schism," Clark replied as he took a seat.

"Ah." Clark grimaced inwardly as he noted Garth restrain a shudder. "The Dark Times," Garth shook his head. "I can't fill in many details, it's one of those times that we can't interfere with, it has to happen. The time of the 'Not Green Lantern', a hero who fought in one battle, but then refused to continue, his name never recorded, the Lantern with one brown and one emerald eye who -." Garth shook his head. "No I can't inform you."

"Okay," Clark nodded and began to rise. "Thanks -."

"Where are you going?" Garth grinned suddenly. "We might not be able to give you information that'll help you stop the event from occurring doesn't mean we can't help you personally."

Clark's brow furrowed. "Isn't that a contradiction?"

"No," Garth shook his head then reddened, "well maybe a little. But if we help you then I think that means we were always meant to help you, and just aren't aware of it yet because it isn't recorded in history vids and hasn't happened yet in our personal time streams."

Clark wasn't sure about the logic, but he wasn't going to protest about getting help. "Okay."

"Give me a moment," Garth spoke into a wrist communicator, "Querl could you come to my office."

Superman forced himself to relax when the door swung open and Brainiac 5 walked in. Being in the presence of the descendant of one of his bitterst enemies was never easy for him. "Greetings," the purple-skinned teenager nodded at him before looking towards Garth, "how may I assist you?"

Garth looked towards him. "Clark has requested our assistance with an upcoming crisis in his timeline."

"Interesting," Brainiac 5 stared at him and then at Garth. "Which particular battle?"

"The Dark Times." Garth supplied.

The purple-skinned teenager nodded. "In that case my history-files would suggest we send the legionnaires with the most physically offensive powers."

Clark groaned at Garth's agreeing nod. This sounded more and more ominous. "I'd agree. Who would you suggest?"

"Yourself, Colossal Boy, Ultra Boy, Mon-El, Wildfire, Blok, Thunder, and Super-Girl," Brainiac said.

"Thank you," Garth looked towards Clark. "Call for us, we'll be there."

"A warning," both heroes looked towards Brainiac. "Should we be involved in this event, we will be forced to break the no kill rule, that is why the event was so-named."

* * *

Bruce swallowed as he pulled up outside the 'school' that Faith and her boy-friend ran. It had been three days since he'd last seen his newly-discovered daughter, a stony wall of non-communication springing up between the pair of them. He'd told Alfred he'd been too busy patrolling the devastated city to visit her. Unfortunately though he could lie to his butler and best friend, he couldn't lie to himself. It was fear that had held him back, an unfamiliar feeling for him, but there was a cold dread that after this meeting, Faith would never want to see him again.

However, he climbed out of his Mercedes, he had to face his daughter and his fear, otherwise he'd never speak to her again anyway.

Wayne grimaced as he pulled his cashmere overcoat tight in an attempt to dull the cuttingly cold wind. Ducking his head from the unseasonal downpour, he hurried to the school's forbidding front door and knocked on it.

After twenty or so seconds, the door flew open to reveal a hauntingly pale red-head. "Hello Erin isn't it?" Wayne in fact knew the girl's name, her age, and everything his sources had been able to find out about her. When he'd discovered about his daughter, he'd made it his business to find out about everyone related to her, past and present, and commit it to memory. "I'm here to see Faith."

The Irish-American stared at him before nodding brusquely. "This way."

"Thank you." Bruce's brow furrowed as the girl led him a different route than the one leading to Faith's room, even as he cleared his throat to ask the girl where he was going, then belatedly recognised the route and clamped his jaw shut. Might as well get it over with.

The young girl stopped and knocked on a thick wooden door. "Yes?"

"Hi, Xander, Mr. Wayne is here. You said you wanted to see him before he went to see Faith."

"Oh, thanks Erin, send him in, and go back to whatever you were doing."

"Thank you," Wayne nodded at the red-head as she hurried off before reaching down, grabbing the door's cold ivory handle, opening it, and walking into the office.

Xander looked up at his entrance, his one-eyed stare distinctly unfriendly. "Mr. Wayne, I wondered if Faith would see you again."

"Perhaps you hoped she wouldn't?" Wayne challenged, meeting the gaze unflinchingly.

"I know what you said, how hurt she was," Xander replied. "Ever since she was a kid, Faith always wanted to belong, to have someone to be proud of her. She's had friends, mentors, even students. But that wasn't the same, not for her. She wanted family to claim her as her own."

"And she-."

The young man continued over him, Bruce noticed the young man's gaze hadn't shifted an inch. "When you found her, she was so happy, but terrified about what you'd think about her, her past. And I have to admit, you took it pretty well. But then she found out about you know. And for a minute there you were just another guy who'd lied to her. But I, idiot I am," a bitter smile twisted the young man's face, "helped convince her you had a damn good reason to do so."

"And I did," Bruce said, his tone calm as he realised one of them had to stay in control of emotions before this erupted into the full-blown argument that he'd expected and feared he'd be having with his daughter.

"Yeah maybe so, but you don't get the right to judge her, and you don't get to break her heart. You hurt her and I'll have your head on a pike." Xander's solitary eye burnt into him. "I don't care who you are, and Superman, heck the Justice League themselves, won't stop me, am I understood?"

Bruce stared at the youth. It was all he could do not to react with derision or laughter. The young man had mettle and resolve to stand up to him like this, not to mention it spoke well of his love for his daughter, but when you had a rogue's gallery that included the likes of the Joker, Bane, Ra'as Ghul, Poison Ivy, Killer Croc, and Scarecrow it took a lot to intimidate him.

Nevertheless, the lad had nerve, worked hard to protect not only those he cared for but the wider world, and dearly loved his daughter, three very good reasons to respect him. Bruce nodded. "I'll bear that in mind."

* * *

Bruce swallowed as he walked up to Faith's room, his palms moist and his mouth dry. Every minute for the last few days had been spent finding reasons not to come here, yet simultaneously yearning to be nowhere else but here. And now that he had finally arrived, he was terrified, more terrified than he'd been in a long time.

His arm felt unbearably heavy as he lifted it and knocked on the door. "Yo? Who is it?" His heart soared at his child's distinctive voice and his mouth opened to reply only for nothing to come out. Cheeks burning, he opened it in another attempt. "I said-," the door swung open, his daughter looked up at him, dark eyes filling with distrust, "oh it's you." Faith pursed her full lips before flicking her long mane and stepping back. "I suppose you should come in."

"Thanks," he was profoundly grateful when his voice returned. He followed his daughter into her room, noting the clothes crumpled on the floor, the unmade bed, and the posters stuck to the wall.

"You don't share with Xander?" He asked as his daughter strode over to her loudly playing ipod and turned it off.

"Not that it's any of your business," hostility dripped off every word, "but I spend pretty much every night in his room, but sometimes I need my space." Faith half-smiled. "Plus these days he's turned into a neat-freak, and I ain't."

A smart comment was on the tip of his tongue, but he bit it back in the interests of regaining a relationship with his daughter. Faith's eyes hardened as she dropped onto her knees on her bed. "I wasn't gonna kill that asshole."

"You weren't?" Bruce felt a huge weight if not lift from his chest at least lighten.

"Nah," Faith shook her head, "I was wicked pissed, and I took it way further than I should, but I don't regret a moment of pain I caused that fucker." Faith's eyes sharpened to knives that then skewered him. "And I don't regret what I said to you either. How many people has the Joker killed after you threw him into a prison that you knew couldn't hold him? Hell, what about my good buddy, Bane?"

"Those deaths are on them, not me," Bruce kept his tone even, determined not to feed into his daughter's aggression.

"Really?" Faith raised a quizzical eyebrow. "One snap of their neck and dozens, hell hundreds of people might still be alive."

"And one snap of a neck, and you might not have been there to help Angel defeat the Beast and Angelus," was his reply.

Faith whitened. "Don't compare me to those nutty fuckers. I didn't have to be forced into prison, I gave myself up, I never tried to escape 'til I was needed. Jesus," Faith shook her head, hurt filling her eyes. "If that's what you think, you better leave here now, and don't bother comin' back. I got friends who've got my back, I don't need you."

'I don't need you.' If those words were meant to hurt him, they did their job and how. "No," Bruce forced down his panic. Damn this girl, whenever he was around her, he lost all his glibness, easy charm, and elocution. But whatever it took, he wasn't losing her. "I only brought up you and Angel because your history illustrates what I believe in. If Angel hadn't believed you could be saved, that you might see the error of your ways, he'd have had to kill you and we'd have never had the chance to meet."

"Maybe you'd like that?"

Faith's words were a whisper, but hit him like a sledgehammer to the face. "Never ever say that," he reproved. "The only regret I have is I didn't know about you when you were a child."

"Finch and Worth ain't the only humans I've killed," Faith had her arms crossed, her posture defiant, but under it Bruce sensed a deep undercurrent of fear. "There was a rogue Slayer hired by the Order of Takara to kill Xan, I stopped her. A voodoo priestess tryin' to cause a civil war in Haiti so she could have her own power base. A slaver dealing in Slayers and other supernaturals, selling them into servitude or for sacrifice. And a necromancer hired by Wolfram & Hart to bring back the Circle Of Black Thorn. None of them were murders, all were either self-defence, had too many influential contacts to be put in prison, or were too powerful to be imprisoned." Faith paused. "And 'part from Finch and Worth, I ain't lost a moment's sleep 'bout any of them. I'd gladly kill a thousand crims to let one innocent kid live."

Bruce didn't know what to say to that so instead he changed tact. "Earlier the night we argued you also saved me," Bruce continued at Faith's bemused look. "Deathstroke was beating me pretty badly. I was close to passing out, when I heard your voice in my head, telling me we'd only just found one another, we couldn't lose each other."

"And what's the point of that little titbit?"

Bruce soldiered on over the hostility in his daughter's voice. "The point is, I care about you, I love you. That doesn't mean I'll always agree with you, but it does mean I'll always want you to be part of my life."

Faith looked utterly lost at his words, as if life itself had robbed her of the tools to deal with a declaration of unconditional love. Bruce stood and waited, he was prepared to take as long as it took.

BLAR! BLAR! BLAR!

"What the fuck!" Faith looked shocked then almost relieved when alarms erupted. "Defences have been breached." The curvy brunette lunged for the pair of tomahawks hung crossed between a Skid Row and a Pearl Jam poster. "Let's hustle."


	20. Chapter 20

**FIC: Faith ****Wayne**** (20/?)**

Xander grunted as the alarms erupted. His nerves already frazzled after his meeting with Bruce Wayne, hell him warning Batman, Xander wasted no time in rising, pulling on a pair of reinforced-knuckle fingerless gloves, reaching into his drawer, pulling out the tazer located there, while also hurriedly putting on his shoulder-holster.

He was two steps from his office door when it crashed open, a tall, blonde-haired beauty striding in, matching flintlocks in her hands. Xander didn't give her chance to aim, slamming shoulder-first into the woman's rather ample chest, knocking her out into the corridor.

Xander charged after his assailant, slamming his right into the woman's eye, years of battling alongside super-powered women robbing him of any fairer sex delusions. The woman stumbled, then righted herself, left flintlock coming up.

Only to be trapped against Xander's torso when he wrapped his right arm around the woman's forearm, locking her arm into his side as he drove his other fist into her throat, and his knee into her groin. The woman's legs began to buckle, her descent hastened by Xander's forehead to the face.

Xander shook his head as he caught the falling woman and flung her onto the couch in his room before quickly stripping her of her weapons and hog-tying her. "No one threatens my girls."

* * *

Michael Czajak, former goth and Sunnydale resident, and now full-time bad ass mage almost fell off his chair when his magical alarms went off. "It's always something around here," he muttered as he slammed shut the spell book he'd been studying, hurried around his desk, and out of the door.

He'd barely stepped into the corridor when he was confronted with a man who seemed to be wearing some sort of snake suit charging towards him. "Incendia!" Michael hissed, a half-second later a fireball was hovering in his hand. A half-second after that it was flying through the air at the on-charging snake-man.

Michael's eyes widened as the serpent-man leapt away from his attempted incineration and started running towards him across the left wall. Gathering himself, Michael let out a cry. "Vires!"

Energy shimmered in the air, then crashed into the snake-man, flinging him off the wall, and head over tails down the corridor. The creature rolled up into a crouch, an unholy fire burning in its eyes.

Michael flung out his hand again. "VIRES!"

A still greater energy rippled in the air between him and his would-be attacker, then crashed into the interloper's chest, spinning him like a top, and flinging him all the way down the corridor to crash into the far wall. But suddenly that wasn't enough. This creature thought he could break into his home and threaten him and his friends?

"VIRES!" This third burst of energy thudded into the barely moving intruder, lifted his crumpled body off the carpet and flung him back into the wall. "VIRES!" For a third time the limp body was propelled into the wall then thumping back to the ground.

Michael smiled as he slumped wearily against the wall, sweaty body aching as if he'd just spent an hour in the weights room he never used. Whoever his attacker was, he wouldn't be back up in a hurry.

* * *

"You carryin' pops?" Faith queried as they made the corridor.

"I have a few tricks on me," Bruce replied, grimacing as the chaotic noise filling the mansion reached them.

"Good to know-," Faith swayed to one side as a bearded archer stepped out of a doorway forty feet away, raised and shot an arrow at her in a solitary smooth motion, the barb shafted arrow missing her left eye by less than an inch. "SHIT!" Faith joined him in diving behind a table he'd hastily grabbed from the far side of the corridor and flipped onto one side. "Who the fuck is Robin Hood?"

"That looks like Meryln, a foe of the Green Arrow's," Bruce replied, recalling the bearded man from the Batcave's extensive criminal files.

"Meryln?" Faith's beautiful features furrowed. "Is he a magician?" Bruce shook his head. "Then why the hell is he called Merlyn?"

"Faith, I didn't name him!" Bruce hissed irritably. "And is this really the time?"

"Yeah," Faith shook her head. "'Kay, this is what we'll do. You lunge for the door to your right, screaming about how you don't wanna die or some such pussy shit, the moment the asshole sticks his head outta shoot you, I come up, and tomahawk his ass."

"No." Bruce shook his head. As much as he hated this, he had to point out of the flaw in Faith's plan. "When Merlyn made his first attempt, you were his target, that tells me you're his priority, if I act as decoy, he'll just ignore me, and wait until you come up, and put an arrow through you."

"FUCK!" Faith grunted as an arrow whistled overhead, chipping wood from the table's edge. "Yeah, could be right. Can you handle a tomahawk?" Bruce nodded, he'd trained extensively in all weapons. "In that case," Faith tossed him her tomahawks. "Ready?" he held the weapons in his hand for a moment, becoming one with them, then nodded.

"I can't take it!" Faith screamed as she lunged for a doorway to the right, hands reaching for the door. The moment Merlyn started to move, Wayne was lurching up, sighting, and flinging his tomahawk. Merlyn let out a shocked cry as the tomahawk sliced deep into his right arm, the archer falling back, his other arm reaching instinctively for his wound. He never got his hand there, Faith swarming all over him, hitting him with a blistering array of punches, kicks, knees, and elbows that the injured assassin had no response for.

The moment the beaten into unconsciousness archer crashed to the ground, his blood oozing out to stain the carpet, Bruce spoke. "Should we -."

"Go and see what the hell's happenin'?" Faith kicked the unconscious assassin in the ribs. "Let's get this asshole tied up first."

* * *

"Ahhh!" Freddy let out a shocked cry as the green-clad Asiatic assassin who'd just recently burst through the office caught him with a spin-kick to the jaw that sent him flying over his desk to crumple in a heap. He groaned as the door crashed open again, not more of them, then heaved a relieved sigh when Janice's lanky figure burst in.

The assassin spun to face the Slayer but wasn't quick enough to avoid a straight right to the jaw that knocked her into the wall. Freddy was far from a connoisseur on fighting, but even he could tell the two women were experts. And he could also tell the Slayer was just a little bit faster, stronger, and better than the raven-haired killer.

And he could also tell that unless the assassin got help, the fight could only end one way.

Just as he realised that, Janice sidestepped a knife-edge to the throat, stepped in close and drove her head down into the other woman's face. Blood spurted from the woman's nose as she spun away and attempted an up-swinging elbow at the Slayer's face. The Slayer took the elbow to the cheek, but grabbed the woman's arm at the crook, yanked her forward, and into a rib-shattering knee to the midsection.

Her expression pained, the assassin began to double up. Janice grabbed her around the neck, swaying in and out of the way of the foot that swung up from behind and above the assassin's bent back as she squeezed down hard. Suddenly the would-be killer went limp, and fell motionless to the ground.

* * *

Claudia and Bella out-flanked the snarling man clad in what looked to be a red dog's costume, his hands ending in what appeared to be claws. Claudia slid under a sweeping claw to crash a right into her rival's muscled side.

The interloper grunted, then tried to twist to face her only to be forced the other way by Bella's right to his back. And so they fought, one darting in from one side the moment the other's attack was finished, beating the man back, punch and kick by punch and kick.

Finally the weirdo crumpled, his face pulped by their attacks.

"He's out," Bella excitedly and unnecessarily reported.

"Let's use the curtain to restrain him then go and see if there's anyone else needs help," Claudia replied.

"Or needs their asses kicking!" Bella laughed.

* * *

Mandy grunted as the red and blue costumed muscle-man caught her with punch after punch, her own defences fading before its relentless attack. Blood flew from her mouth as her ribs shattered. Her eyes swam as she brought up her arms too slow to block a left hook that lifted her off her feet and flung her into the foot of the steps.

And then Erin flew past her shoulder, knocking the chemically enhanced giant back with a furious barrage of blows even as her fellow Slayer darted in and out of his counter-attacks.

But not all of them, an elbow to the side of her head knocked her into the wall. Erin ducked under the drug-built behemoth's right cross, the blow cracking the wall's plaster, and connected with an uppercut that knocked the thick-set man back a step before gliding into a smooth spin kick.

The man scooped up Mandy's fellow Slayer by her out-stretched leg and flung her back into the wall. Erin handsprung off the wall and back into the attack, jamming an elbow into her adversary's face. The man's head snapped back, but he managed to snatch out a hand, grab Erin by her flame-red hair and fling her face-first into the opposite wall.

Erin doubled up and kicked out when the musclehead jammed a fist into her kidneys before she could turn to face him. Her blow hit home, but then her rival's hands were around her neck and twisting.

The world slowed as the snap of Erin's neck rang out and the body of Mandy's friend slumped limply to the carpet. Suddenly rage replaced the weary pain swamping her, and she was up, leaping with a banshee shriek onto the massively-built man's thick back, her arm wrapping around his neck in a chokehold.

"HAAA!" She screamed as the man grabbed her arm, snapped forward at the waist, and flung her through the porch's already shattered glass pane. Her landing on the stone-paved floor drove the air from her lungs but she forced herself to roll on her knees. Her vision blurred, she was forced to desperately scrabble for a shard of glass to use as a weapon.

Then the man caught her with a kick to the face that shattered her jaw and knocked her on her back.

BOOM! BOOM!

Blood, bone, and brains exploded from the front of the assassin's face, showering her as the man slumped to the ground, body shaking in his death throes. "No one lays a hand on my girls and gets away with it. No one."

* * *

Erin dead. Wayne stared down bleakly at the red-haired Irish-American, so vibrant in life, now so listless in death. Brave Erin who'd stood up to his customed alter-ego for the sake of his daughter. It took all of his decades-learnt iron self-control not to fling back his head and roar his rage at an unjust world.

"Mr. Wayne," he glanced over his shoulder to see Xander gently making his way through the throng of sobbing teenage girls, an aura of barely contained fury surrounding him. "Sir, could you join me in my office?"

"Xander!"

One girl collapsed in the man's arms. "I know, I know." The one-eyed man gently stroked the girl's straw-blonde hair. "Michael," Xander looked towards a pale-faced goth following behind him. "Can you organise to put the-, the-, corpses into a side room and start up a triage room for the injured." Xander looked towards him again. "Shall we?"

* * *

"Faith says you know whose behind this mess?" Xander demanded.

"You should leave it to -."

"Just. Answer. The. Question," Xander slowly said, struggling with his tenuous grip on his temper.

Wayne stared at him for a second before nodding. "Very well."

He listened in silence as the billionaire explained. "You're saying this Raisin Gully-."

"Ra's al Ghul," Wayne corrected.

"What. Ever." Xander fixed the billionaire crime-fighter with his best glare. "You're saying he's targeted Faith because he figures Faith," his gaze softened as he glanced towards his love, "as your daughter is in the way of some nutty idea he has for you and his daughter to provide him with a male heir? A way of keeping his diabolical dynasty going, is that what you're telling me?"

"Ghul is a genius, but an utterly insane one," Wayne replied.

"It's that great deductive reasoning and stating of the neon-flashing obvious that got you the reputation of the world's greatest detective isn't it?" Xander snarked as he nodded. "Right, I want everything you have on this man and his League Of Assassins."

The playboy shook his head. "She's my daughter. Let me deal with this."

"How's that working out for you so far?" Xander demanded. Wayne's grate sent shivers down his spine, but he was determined not to show it. Instead he lurched to his feet, ignoring the ache in his side, placed his palms on the desk, and leaned over. "Maybe Faith's your daughter," he replied. "But she's my girl-friend and today this bastard put two of my Slayers in the ground. That makes it the International Slayers' Council's business!"

"Oh god, if my dad and my man whip 'em out and start comparing lengths, I'll just 'bout die of embarrassment."

Wayne's square jaw clenched and unclenched. Then the billionaire nodded curtly. "I've got your email address, I'll send you everything I have on the League Of Assassins." Wayne paused. "But I warn you, they're not to be trifled with."

Xander smiled grimly. "Neither was the Order Of Takara, the Scourge of Europe, Glory and a whole bunch of others. We're still there. They aren't."

Wayne nodded again. "As you wish." The billionaire turned on his heel and strode out.

Faith looked at him for a second. "Ah shit." His girl spun on his heel and hurried out after her father.

* * *

Faith raced after her father, mind whirring as she struggled to decide what to say. Finally her father was in the building's entrance hall. "Bruce," Faith licked her lips, "damn it, dad, stop."

Bruce spun to face her, her father's expression heated. "The League of Assassins aren't to be trifled with, Faith."

"We're not 'xactly chopped liver, yo."

Her father half-smiled at her defiance. "I didn't mean to infer you were," Bruce said. "But it's my responsibility to-."

"Look after me?" Faith shot her father a half-smile. "If I come off my bike pops, I don't need anyone to kiss my scrapes and put a boo-boo on." Faith's smile widened. "And if I did, X would probably fight you for the job."

"I don't think there's any probably about it." Bruce's half-smile widened. "He's got steel."

"Yeah," Faith nodded proudly, dimples deepening. "People mostly figure him for a goof, but there's way more goin' on beneath."

"I can see that," Wayne paused then continued. "He won't mention-."

"Xan gets the secret identity gig, he'll come up with bullshit reason, say Ghul has a beef with Wayne and is trying to get to you through me or some shit," Faith said.

"Okay," Wayne nodded, his expression growing grave. "If you need help with the funerals, red tape, expense of flying the kids' bodies home, counselling for the others, call me."

"We've got the resources," Faith swallowed, chest tightening at the thought of the two girls. "But you could come to our," Faith's throat tightened momentarily. "Our memorial service?"

Bruce nodded. "Just tell me when and where, and I'll be there."

* * *

Wayne strode out of the mansion, the gravel crunching underfoot, then stopped as he noted his car's shredded tires. "Damn," he supposed it was unlikely that Ghul would have had his car booby-trapped, after all his daughter rather than himself was the target, but it would be foolish to take chances. Taking off his jacket, he pulled out his cell, then placed his jacket on his Mercedes' gleaming hood, phoned Alfred's number, and waited.

As the phone rang, he considered the onerous decision he'd made. Ra's al Ghul was used to battling him, but probably didn't have a clue about the Council or at least as in-depth as his information on him, so an attack from them might catch the League unprepared. And as powerful as he was individually, the Slayers Council had contacts throughout the globe, something he couldn't equal without bringing others into this matter

And besides, the Council didn't shy away from lethal measures.

"Hello sir, how may I help you?"

His butler's voice pulled him away from that last unsettling thought. "Hello Alfred, there's been an incident, I need you to bring the Bentley and drive me home."

"Of course sir," the elderly Englishman replied. "If I may be so bold, I trust everything's in order?"

Bruce let out a rattling, tension-filled sigh. "Ras' al Ghul made another attempt on Faith's life."

"Oh no," Alfred gasped. "I trust she's alright?"

"Yes," Wayne took a moment then sighed. "But two of her 'students' were killed in the violence."

"Oh no," Alfred groaned. "I trust you'll be taking measures?"

Wayne turned back to the house and grimaced. "It's in hand."

* * *

"Thank you," Giles nodded gratefully at his secretary as she brought in his afternoon cup of tea, placed it on his desk, and backed out. Finally a bloody break, what a soddin' day he was having and no mistake. This flaming job made him nostalgic for the heady days of being tortured by Angelus.

He'd barely taken a sip when the phone rang. "Of course," he glared balefully at the ringing instrument, "it's like you flaming know isn't it?" Muttering curses under his breath, he grabbed the phone and answered. "Hello?"

"I want a Midnight Sanction against the League Of Assassins."

Giles blinked at the cold voice, barely recognising the usually far more cheerful tones of the closest he had to a son. "Xander? What's up?" Then the words hit him, a Midnight Sanction was so called because it involved utilising the Council's entire resources in attacking a target with methods best concealed in the dead of night.

And he was of course aware of who the League Of Assassins were. They were notorious, like the Order Of Takara on extremely advanced steroids. Centuries old, they were utterly ruthless and professional, but thankfully also largely immersed in the mundane rather than supernatural world.

Which raised the inevitable question, just what had they done to warrant the venom he heard bubbling in Xander's voice. "Xander, what's your connection to the League?"

"If you won't help me, I'll go to Angel, his group would be more than happy to get involved in this."

Giles' brow furrowed as he considered Xander's words. The likelihood of Angel and Xander teaming up was preposterous, as was the thought of Xander going to the ensoulled vampire for help, but it did hint at the possible motivation for Xander's demand. "Xander, I'm not saying no, son," he soothed. "But I need a reason to approve a Midnight Sanction."

There was a pause, long enough to make him think Xander had hung up. "Yeah, of course." Xander sighed. "Sorry." There was another pause. "It turns out the attack on Faith by Drakon was ordered by Ra's al Ghul. And today, a bunch of assassins attacked our Council house." The youth's voice caught. "Two of my girls were killed. This bastard killed two of my Slayers."

Giles' knuckles whitened as he squeezed the receiver in his hand, white hot rage scalding his veins. Two more names to add to the Remembrance Wall. "And what in particular leads you to believe Ra's al Ghul is behind these attacks?"

"Faith's dad contributes heavily to some charities that Ghul doesn't like. It's his way of getting back at him."

That sounded spectacularly psychotic, but not at all out of character from what he knew about Ghul and his megalomania. The madman couldn't brook any interference with his plans, although why he'd left it until now to attack Wayne was a puzzle. "Very well," Giles nodded. "I'll approve the Sanction."

"Thanks," Xander heaved a long, deep sigh. "I'll send you the information I've got the League and its assets."

"That's not necessary, son. We have extensive files on the League, they were always considered a potential rival by our predecessors." He didn't add and also as a potential contractor for dirty jobs, considered too dangerous for their own wet-works teams. "I'll get our seers onto scrying for where their major players will be and organise a response."

"I'll send you what we've got anyway," Xander replied. "We might have some information you don't."

Sensing Xander needed to contribute, to feel useful, he nodded. "As you wish, son." Giles replied. "Now," Giles forced his anger away. "About the girls, if you'll give me their names, I'll contact their parents-."

"They were my girls, my responsibility. I'll deal with it."

"As you wish," Giles nodded. "But at least send me the details of your memorial service, I'd like to make time to come."

"Of course," Xander replied. "Thanks. You'll keep Faith and I in the loop about the Sanction?"

"Of course son, now you go and comfort your girls."


	21. Chapter 21

**FIC: Faith ****Wayne**** (21/?)**

Osaka, Japan

Riley peered down his sniper's scope and waited, eye trained on the flat roof of a twelfth floor penthouse apartment building. According to their information the present occupier of the twelfth floor, the prestige apartment, came out at 5:30 AM every morning to swim her morning laps.

And when she came out this morning, an assassin's bullet would greet her.

Killing in cold blood like this soured the taste in his mouth, but he'd read the file on today's target and Lady Shiva was far too risky for him to send two or even three Slayers against when he could do it far more easily himself. Heck, his soul could take a little sullying if it protected his Slayers.

He licked his lips as the roof door swung open and the Lady herself strode out. The tall Oriental who walked out was clad in a black one piece and her mane tied back in a ponytail, the woman was aged in her mid-forties but looked two decades younger.

The shot was just a fraction over a thousand yards and made yet more difficult by the target's relative smallness, her head. Not many more than a couple of dozen men throughout the world could make the shot.

It was lucky he was one of those two dozen.

The moment the infamous assassin clambered up onto the springboard, Riley stroked ever so gently on his trigger. A tenth of a second later the Oriental spun like a top, blood spurting from her head as she splashed into the pool. Riley kept his gaze fixed on the pool, counting slowly to three hundred before rising, satisfied that even if the woman had survived his shot, she'd have drowned in the pool by now. After putting his gun away, he strode out of the rented apartment, his unsavoury task completed.

* * *

Los Angeles, CA

Industrial metal blared out from the nightclub that Angel and Connor perched upon, the foul music aggravating Angel's already bad mood. The alley beneath them didn't help either, his enhanced nose picking up every sweat droplet, every spilt drop of booze, every vomit. In contrast Connor seemed at peace, a peace that had been all too rare until Wolfram & Hart had re-set him.

But then it wasn't Connor's protégé being hunted by the world's most notorious assassin, a man whose record for murder out-stripped even his. And a man who ran an organisation that made the Scourge of Europe seem like a Salvation Army marching band.

Angel peered into the alley running up the side of the club, noting the tall, lean man dressed in casual but smart clothing, the man having no apparent fear either of the shadows or the rough part of town he found himself in.

"That's Alpha."

Even as he growled his recognition, Angel was dropping off the roof, Connor a split-second behind him. Their descent was soundless, and yet their target spun to meet them, as if he had senses to match Angel.

Alpha caught Connor as he came in, his elbow cannoning off the side of Connor's head. Yet even as Connor stumbled away, Angel was gliding in, sliding behind the man as he spun to face him, his fist snapping into Alpha's kidney. The man's mouth opened in a pained cry. Even so, he managed to glide under Angel's follow-up right cross, his own fist crashing into Angel's jaw.

Angel stumbled back a half-step, the assassin hurried after him only to be forced to spin around to deal with Connor. Connor sidestepped the hired killer's thrust kick and attempted his own kick that Alpha blocked on his forearm.

Then Angel grabbed the hired killer in a rear triangle choke hold and squeezed, the assassin's legs buckling in seconds.

"He was good dad, one on one he'd have been tougher than most vampires," his son commented. "His moves were crisp, fast, and powerful, he knew what he was doing."

"Yeah," Angel agreed. If this was just one of the League's top assassins, he hated to think what the rest were like.

* * *

San Diego, CA

Illyria's heel crashed into the door, wood splintered under her attack, the door flying off to crash into the door opposite, both doors crashing into the far wall of the kitchen. "You," she snarled as the beefy Mohicaned man with wild staring eyes scrambled to his feet, "are the one they call Mad Dog?"

The man let out an inarticulate growl and charged at her, attempting a spin-kick that she blocked on her forearm. The assassin shook his head, eyes widening as he segued into a right cross that she batted away. The assassin let out a grunt before flinging himself forward in an attempted shoulder charge, her palms slapping up to crash into the man's shoulders, the man whitening as his collar-bones popped as he fell into the wall behind him.

The man spun away from her attempted thrust kick to the face and into an elbow to her face. Illyria smiled as she reached up, snatched the man by his hair, and flung him down onto his back, her heel coming down to crash into and through his face.

Illyria stared down dispassionately at the slain assassin as she raised her foot out of the ruins of his face. Ever since Angel had allied them with the Council after the Slayer army had rescued her companions during the battle with the Black Thorns, they and their expanded team had become part of the Council, mostly independent but funded by and allied to them. On occasion however they asked them to do jobs such as this.

The half-breed had claimed that this assassin might be a challenge. Once again he was in error.

* * *

Toronto, Canada

"You in position, Shannon?"

"We're in position," her counterpart confirmed.

Rona looked at her companion. "You ready Dana?"

The previously insane Vampire Slayer nodded. The girl's insanity was well under control these days, but she was still withdrawn, but in battle, man, the only Slayer she'd seen who could beat her one on one was Faith. Maybe Buffy too, but she'd seen Faith and Dana spar, never Buffy and Dana, on account of Summers thankfully never being around these days..

Dana's presence was a definite plus, David Cain might look like a hunk of middle-aged goodliness, but according to everything she had read he was utterly ruthless and highly skilled, in the very upper echelon of the League. That was why there were four Slayers to take down one normal. That rankled, yeah, there were plenty of metas around tougher than a Slayer, but a normal?

Except Mr. Giles had insisted on it, and if there was one man Rona didn't want to get on the wrong side of it was him.

Focusing her attention back, Rona spoke into the mike. "Go!"

Wood splintered as Dana kicked the single-storey apartment's door open and charged down the corridor towards where the building plans indicated the bedroom was.

Then suddenly the target was in the corridor, his naked upper torso rippling with muscle far more functional than a pretty-boy bodybuilder's. His foot shot out with a speed that should have impossible for a normal, catching Dana under the jaw and flinging her into the air, Rona only barely managing to sway away from the Slayer turned human missile.

In the split-second it took her to side-step Dana, Vi and Shannon arrived at the assassin's other side. Rona's eyes widened in disbelief when Cain swayed away from Vi's attempted knee to the midsection while slapping away Shannon's palm strike and kicking Vi in her grounded knee, knocking the red-headed Slayer into the wall.

"Damn it!" Rona grunted. Their whole mission was going to hell. Renewed determination not to fail sent her surging forward, slamming a heel into the back of the assassin's knee.

Except the assassin spun away from her attempted assault, lights dancing before her eyes when the killer drove an elbow into the side of her head. The assassin lunged in fast, his arm snaking around her throat in a choke hold. Rona's hand shot up, grabbing the assassin's arm at the crook even as she snapped forward at the waist and flung the killer over her shoulder.

Somehow the thickly-built human twisted like a gymnast half his size, caught the wall feet first and kicked off into a somersault, landing on one foot while his left foot snapped off in blurringly fast heel kick that caught Vi in her chest, knocking her back in the wall. Vi's mouth opened in a defiant grunt as she shot off a knee that caught the killer in his lower back, knocking him forward.

Shannon darted in with an uppercut that the assassin swayed away from, grabbing hold of the Slayer's arm and snapping forward and down, the Slayer's arm snapping as it went against the grain. The assassin spun to face her, forcing Rona to duck under a right cross.

Wind exploded from her mouth when the assassin caught her with a steel hard knee to the gut. Rona forced herself to straighten only to have to sway away from a left uppercut. "Whoa!" Rona gasped when a screaming Dana lunged over her shoulder to grab at Cain's throat, her fellow Slayer's eyes bulging with rage.

Cain attempted to fling Dana off him, but Dana held on, twisting with her bodyweight so that the assassin crashed headfirst into the bedroom's door frame, wood cracking under the impact. The assassin's pain was only compounded when Dana drove a blurring series of knees into his midsection, a rib cracking with every blow.

Cain's forearm swung up and slammed into the brunette's face, snapping her head back, knocking his pitbull-like attacker away from him. The assassin stumbled upright, right into a leg-sweep from behind from Shannon. The assassin swayed backwards, then righted himself in time for Dana to lunge at him, tackle him around the midsection and take him to the carpet. Before the assassin had time to blink, Vi, Rona, and Shannon were on him, kicking him into unconsciousness as Dana held him down.

"Wow," Rona slumped against the wall as the bloodied assassin finally slipped into unconsciousness. "That was fun."

"Let's get him restrained and teleported back to the base," Vi said.

"Yeah," Rona nodded. "I really don't want round two."

* * *

Buenos Aries, Argentina

Kennedy grinned as she trailed the statuesque red-head through Buenos Aries, the 18 and 19th century architecture of Spanish, French, and Italian design creating a beautifully cosmopolitan city. The South American branch of the International Slayers' Council was usually based in party central, also known as Rio, but when the mystics had informed them that one of Ghul's major underlings was in Argentina's capital city, Willow had instantly decided they were going to take her.

Not that Kennedy blamed her, her mood took a major downturn as her target took a turn into a less salubrious but still upwardly middle-class area of the city. Xander had been Willow's best friend since kindergarten and he'd lost an eye protecting Kennedy from Caleb. No price was too high to avenge an attack on him.

And so for the last few days they'd been running a surveillance on the assassin, Whisper D'Aire. Ironically enough they'd found in turn that the red-haired assassin was running her own observation on a businessman, presumably as a prelude to assassination.

Not that it mattered, Kennedy grinned as Whisper D'Aire entered the same alley she'd entered for the past three days, the contract was never going to be carried out.

Kennedy had barely crept into the alley's mouth when Willow appeared in the far end, blocking the assassin's progress, Willow's eyes blazing fire. "You think you can attack my best friend? Threaten his girl-friend's life? You think there wouldn't be consequences?"

The assassin didn't bother with a response or a warning, instead her head reared back, then snapped forward, spittle flying from her mouth only to hit an invisible shield scant inches from the witch's face. "You think I didn't know about your acid spit? You think I didn't know what I was dealing with?" Willow casually waved her hand to the right, the assassin gasped as she flew into the right wall, hitting the bricks with a sickening impact, then Willow waved her hand to the other wall, reversing the assassin's flight until she crashed into the left, yet more bones shattering under the force. "Down doggie." Willow snarled, her hand pointing to the cobbles as she cast the assassin facefirst to the ground, blood spewing out as her facial bones shattered.

Kennedy folded her arms and lent against the wall as she watched Willow work. "And now I'm increasing the gravity in the area surrounding you," Willow continued, her voice several degrees lower than freezing. The red-haired assassin let out a squeal. "It must feel as if you've got a car on your back." Willow paused. "Now a truck."

"Ahhhhh!" The assassin let out a wail, her breath coming in ragged pants.

"Enough fun," Willow began walking around the flattened killer. "I could cut off the blood supply to your brain with a simple click of my fingers. In fact," the witch raised a hand. "I think I will."

The assassin stilled her frenetic struggles, her lithe body lying limply on the ground. Willow muttered something under her breath then looked towards her, the righteous fury draining from her face to be replaced with her usual shy gentleness. "I've placed a mystical gag over her mouth, she can't spit at anyone now." Willow looked over her shoulder to the Slayers lurking there. "Get her cuffed and out my sight."

"Ah," Kennedy grinned as the two girls concealed in the shadows behind Willow hurried forward to restrain the unconsciousness assassin, "and I was gonna use the cuffs on you tonight."

Willow blushed and giggled. "Don't worry we have spares."

* * *

Kiev, Russia

Miller blew air on his freezing hands as he slunked in the shadows of Kiev's drably industrial area, all the buildings uniformly grey and slab-like, bereft of any decoration. He tensed as the target's blood-red Porsche sped past, Nyssa Raatko's raven-cropped locks clearly visible. "Target acquired," he muttered into the mouthpiece concealed by the scarf wrapped around his neck.

"Okay," came the whispered reply.

He watched as the car parked nine buildings down, the lithe assassin climbing out and heading up the steps leading to the building's entrance, then winced as a light flashed and the woman flew back, crashing into her car. Dazed, she struggled to her feet, turning to her car, her hand reaching down to the handle.

Then another flash erupted, this one so blinding Miller had to jerk his head away, then the woman crumpled. "It's done," Madison reported, her voice tired, "she's out."

"Colleen, Caridad," Miller ordered. "Collect the package, make sure she's restrained, then move her home."

* * *

An Unknown Location

Ghul's jaw hung slack as he stared at the screen, unable to believe the information on it. Over the past week the mystics shielding him from magical tracking had reported attempts to seek him, necessitating him to move twice in the past seven days, but his seconds had had no such protection.

And as a result, not one but six of his most significant agents were out of the game, two dead and four missing in action. His organisation's leadership destroyed in one night.

The only enemy he knew of with the will and nerve to do such a thing was the Batman, but unless his agents had grown in number and begun using lethal methods it could not be him. Which only raised the question, who was doing this?

The only answer that made the remotest sense was the mystery meta that was Faith Wayne. She'd already displayed the skills to escape two attempts on her life, could she behind this devastating strike at his organisation? What empowered her? What shadowy organisation lurked behind her?


	22. Chapter 22

**FIC: Faith ****Wayne**** (22/?)**

"Are you ready for the funerals, sir?"

Bruce saw his painful smile reflected back at him in the mirror as he finished fastening his tie. "I doubt one can ever be really ready for a funeral, Alfred."

"Yes sir," his butler and closest aide nodded gravely. "I still remember your parents. I'd never believe that scared but brave little boy would grow up to be the fearsome warrior and grand man I see before me."

Bruce's smile became just a little more genuine. "I had considerable assistance from a good and trusted mentor." As Alfred began to nod, he added. "Commissioner Gordon has always been a valued confidante and guide."

"Ha," amusement gleamed in his butler's eyes, "hoisted up on my own hubris." The Englishman's expression sobered. "Give Ms. Wayne my sympathies."

"Give them yourself," he replied then smiled at his friend's confused expression. "You're one of the family, Alfred, and family stick together in these sort of situations."

"It would be my honour, sir."

* * *

Luthor glanced up from his laptop at the knock on the door, noting the time he let out a call. "Please come in Ms. Waller."

"Thank you sir," the box-shaped woman strode into his office and sat in the chair opposite. "And thank you for making time to see me on such short notice."

"Your call indicated you had important information and besides," Luthor smiled, "I always have time for you. You're a valued ally."

"Thank you sir," Waller nodded.

"And your news?"

"It appears that Ra's al Ghul was behind Drakon's attack on Faith Wayne and the attack by Lady Vic, Deadshot, Kai, NKVDemon, Shado, Deadshot, and Meryln on her college."

Luthor absorbed the news. It was hardly a revelation to anyone aware of Ghul's obsession with the Bat, and striking at his daughter made a certain warped sense when you considered Ghul's past. "And you know this how?"

Waller smiled. "Because in the past seventy-two hours, no less than six of the League Of Assassins' leaders were taken off the board by the Council."

Luthor leaned forward, eyes narrowing. Now this was interesting. "Taken off the board?"

"Mad Dog and Lady Shiva dead, Cain, Alpha, D'Aire, and Raatko all missing."

Luthor rested his forearms on the desk, fingers steepled together. "And you're sure it was the Council?"

"We don't know it was them," Waller admitted. "However, Checkmate aside, they are the only organisation with the resources, ability, motivation, and willingness to enact lethal measures to be able to attack the League in such a comprehensive and widespread manner."

"Huh," Luthor affected a concerned expression, but inwardly he rejoiced. Ghul de-fanged, a few months or years ago when he might have utilised the League's resources, it might have been problem, but with his plans nearing completion, he couldn't care less. "Thank you for this Ms. Waller, most informative."

* * *

Wayne glanced around the subdued gymnasium that was serving as a makeshift wake for Erin and Mika. He'd offered the mansion for the service, but Faith had said 'shit, you don't want the whole of us messin' your crib up, 'sides Erin and Mika lived and died here, their friends should celebrate their lives here'.

Words that had a certain poignant and poetic symmetry.

Wayne couldn't help but feel some pride despite the grim occasion. Young girls, other Slayers he suspected, had flown in for the occasion, many paid for by himself, his contribution, and all treated his daughter and Xander with respect and some cases awe and outright adoration.

"She's a remarkable young woman."

Wayne's mood took a severe downturn as he looked to the man on his left. The greying, bespectacled man had a scholarly look to him that belied an underlying hardness.

Rupert 'Ripper' Giles, former feared criminal and chaos mage, then legendary Watcher. And according to all the research he'd done, the man who had callously and unthinkingly abandoned his underage daughter to a fleapit hotel frequented by sundry lowlifes.

"Yes?" His iron control allowed him to remain a polite tone.

"I've grown very fond of her over the years," continued the Englishman. "And she has a rare skill with the young girls under her control. Given her start in life, she's accomplished a lot." The Watcher gazed searchingly at him. "I would be most displeased if Faith's progress was reversed by another rejection."

Wayne's fists clenched at the subtle insinuation. Reminding himself that this was a wake and hardly the place for a punch-up, he managed to remain calm as he nodded. "I hardly think my daughter is as fragile as you suggest but I appreciate your concern, Mr. Giles. After all her mother was hardly suited for the task of parenthood."Wayneallowed himself a guilty pang at that before continuing. "Even worse from what my private detectives were able to find out even when she ran away fromBostonand went toCalifornia, she was unable to find the guidance, attention, and love that would have perhaps kept her out of prison." Waynefixed Giles with his firmest gaze, allowing just a hint of the Bat out. "She's been failed by more than one guardian figure, but I love her dearly and I have no intention of adding to that number."

* * *

"So what do you think?"

Bruce grimaced at Xander's query. The wake had ended several hours ago, and now he and Xander were in his office, Xander having passed him a typewritten report on the Council's assault on the League of Assassins. "Your organisation is thorough, I'll say that for them. It's a shame they couldn't do anything about Ghul."

"Apparently he has mystics covering them," Xander explained. "While Will's probably way stronger than the lot of them combined, she has to know which general area to look, like say a specific country, to find him."

Bruce nodded. He knew from bitter experience just how tricky Ghul could be. "And Faith, how is she dealing with the girls' deaths?"

Xander's one eye darkened. "She always takes it hard when any of her girls die, it's part of who she is."

"I can understand that,"Waynenodded. It was a leader's responsibility and while it said a lot of good things about his daughter's character, it hurt to imagine her in pain. "If she needs any counselling-."

"Thanks but no," Xander shook his head. "Faith hates shrinks, has done ever since prison, and even if she didn't, the Council employs counsellors."

"Okay." Bruce nodded reluctantly. He felt so helpless, all her life he hadn't been there for Faith, and now he was, he still couldn't protect her. "What about the investigation into what happened here? Are the police still causing problems?"

"Nothing more than a nuisance," Xander grimaced. "They can't do much thanks to the Council's legal and political muscle, plus those who attacked us certainly weren't saints, but with Faith's record,Erinkilling Shado, and me killing Lady Vic and NVKDemon, they don't want to let it go."

"The Bat could go and see Commissioner Gordon, tell him he's investigated the academy on behalf ofWaynewhen he found out his daughter lived and worked there, and while there are some oddities, you are on the level. No mention of the Council, just that you're metas but don't mean any harm to anyone."

"Yeah," Xander nodded. "That'd be handy, thanks."

* * *

Zauriel stood on the roof of one ofLos Angeles' highest skyscrapers and peered down into the swirling smog below, his angelic senses attuned for any sign of trouble. "My son." Pain like a thousand nails simultaneously hammering him through his skull drove him to his knees, even as his soul quailed with disbelief. In all his centuries, all his millennia, he'd never had the honour of speaking to HIM, indeed only the Seven had heard HIS Voice.

"I hear you, Father," he mumbled.

"Good, then listen, for I have much to say."

Horror filled him as his Father talked, every word sending knives of ice through his heart. Once his Father had finished speaking, he nodded and bowed his head. "I hear and I obey." Ignoring the high winds assailing him, Zauriel stretched out his senses and began summonsing as many heroes as he could think of.

The Justice League OfAmerica.

The Justice Society OfAmerica.

The Teen Titans.

Shadowpact.

The Doom Patrol.

The Outsiders.

The Freedom Fighters.

Great Ten.

Atomic Knights.

Zauriel forced away unconsciousness for as long as possible as he summonsed the world's heroes to him. The earth would need them all and more besides to survive what was to come.

* * *

"Commissioner."

The crumpled man started at his greeting then spun to face him, rain dribbling down his trenchcoat. "Batman," the police officer quickly regained his composure.

Batman nodded at his friend, hating the weariness he saw etched in the older man's eyes and face. "When Ms. Wayne turned up I investigated her," he began without preamble. "I thought it might be some scheme to set up Mr. Wayne for a ransom demand by one ofGotham's gallery of freaks, what I discovered was more surprising."

"Oh?" Gordon's eyes narrowed.

"The whole academy is filled with low-level metas, but they're good people," Batman replied. "Not crime-fighters, they deal with another kind of evil."

Gordon stared at him for a moment before commenting. "And the other night?"

"That was unrelated to their meta activities," Batman replied.

"You'll have to give me more," Gordon said.

"It was an attack at Faith Wayne by an enemy of her father unaware of his daughter's powers," Batman supplied. "Look into Faith Wayne's past, you'll find she has a presidential pardon personally requested by the British Ambassador to the US., not something usually given to formerBoston streeturchins."

"Heroes of Earth, I call you to a meeting at The Hall Of Justice,noontomorrow." Batman swayed as a voice vanguarded by an fanfare of trumpets echoed in his head.

"Batman are you alright?"

Batman smiled slightly at the concern in his confidante's voice even as he wondered what urgent matter Zauriel wanted him for. "I'm fine. Faith Wayne and her companions are good people, Commissioner Gordon. Thank you for meeting me here." Batman melted into the shadows. "I'll see you soon."


	23. Chapter 23

**FIC: Faith ****Wayne**** (23/?)**

It always filled Kal-El with a considerable pride to walk into the Hall Of Justice and see his fellow heroes stood in its gleaming chamber. To be one with such an august fellowship gave him a sense of kinship, of belonging, something he'd never thought he'd have growing up.

Except today there was a tension and a fear that he'd rarely experienced. "You got the summons then?"

Kal-El turned and smiled at the African-American. "It's hard to ignore an angelic voice echoing in your head."

Mr. Terrific winced predictably. "I'm an atheist remember, can we not use the angel word?"

"Then how do you explain that?" Kal-El pointed to the figure swooping in to land on the podium at the hall's front. Even to a Kryptonian Zauriel was an awe-inspiring sight, perfect Michael Angeloish symmetry encased in a gleaming golden skin finished off with sweeping wings made of pristinely white feathers. And his face was handsome enough to make a blind man weep.

Terrific grimaced. "Let's just call it an alien race, okay?"

Kal-El chuckled. "In that case, we'll classify the Spectre later."

"Greetings friends," the angel's melodious voice rang out. "I come to you with a message from the Presence." Beside him Terrific let out an almighty groan. "He has spoken to me and explained the cause of the current troubles." Zauriel paused, hands clinging to the podium before him as if holding on for support. "It seems that Lucifer walks amongst humans once more."

"I'm assuming you don't mean metaphysically?" Green Arrow's growl cut through the Hall's shocked mutterings.

"No," Zauriel shook his head. "He has taken human form."

"And how do we find him?" Batman's intensity radiated from him in waves, ensuring only those most familiar with him, Nightwing and his ilk, were comfortable in his near vicinity.

"Lucifer ever was the master of deception," Zaruiel shook his head. "He hides amongst us, but who he is I cannot say."

Kal-El's brow furrowed. It would make sense that Lucifer hid as a normal rather than a meta, there was after all less than a million of them versus six billion normals, a far greater number. However, to have the resources so far used by the mysterious antagonist suggested he'd possessed someone with a great deal of power.

An industrialist?

A crime-lord?

A politician?

A spymaster?

The possibilities were too numerous to consider at the moment, so he turned his attention back to the angel. "The Bible tales of Lucifer's casting down hides a far fouler, far darker truth," Zauriel said. "The Presence created Lucifer first and most powerful in his hosts, his closest aide and most fearsome warrior. And yet, Lucifer grew jealous of the love the Presence held for the mortals and led a rebellion. In righteous fury, the Presence cast Lucifer and his followers from him with such force as to remake the universe itself, Lucifer and the Unheavenly Hosts fell for centuries, through the dimensions until they came to a stop."

Zauriel's eyes scanned the hushed gathering before continuing. "In the billions of years since Lucifer was cast down, he and his Unheavenly Hosts have rampaged through the galaxies, decimating system after system, obliterating countless civilisations. To some they are known as 'The Devouring Storm', to others 'The Screaming Demise', others 'The Death Of Hope'. Lucifer and his Fallen have searched for the Nexus of the verses, the place through which all dimensions, including Heaven can be reached." Terrific groaned alongside Superman. "The Presence hid the knowledge of its whereabouts when he cast him and his cohorts out, but somehow Lucifer reached earth and re-discovered it."

"But the Presence can stop him?" Black Canary queried.

"He could and he would, but of all the beings that populate the cosmos, Lucifer is second only to the Presence in power, such a battle would unmake the system while saving the greater universe," Zauriel explained. "It is better that we stop him ourselves."

Superman clenched his fists. This Lucifer sounded-. "And his brethren, are they of a similar strength?" Hawkman rasped.

"No," Zauriel shook his head. "In the desolation of space, they are only as strong as I. However, they are beasts that feast on the emotions of those they attack. On earth they will be considerably weakened because of you-."

"Because of us?" queried Wonder Woman.

"Positive emotions and virtues like courage, love, determination, honour will initially weaken them, the love of a mother for a child, the generosity of a charity worker, the courage of a fire-fighter, all these will sap the power from the Fallen," Zauriel explained. "However as their attacks devastate the world, the negative emotions will take hold, fear, despair, fuelling these monsters to ever greater levels of strength."

"That explains the attacks on us, the disasters, the prison breaks," Mr. Terrific commented. "They're Lucifer's first moves, to create a global atmosphere whereby his brethren suffer the least possible loss of powers."

"As well as hopefully taking some of us out of the game," Green Arrow added.

"Then how are we best to contain them?" Batman demanded. "Do they have any inherent weaknesses that will allow us to imprison them?"

"I speak as a soldier of God," Zauriel's eyes zeroed in on the Caped Crusader. "When the Unheavenly Host reach Earth, they cannot be arrested, they are not criminals seeking to rob, rape, or murder, they are monsters that will not stop until you're dead or they are. This is not a police action, but war!"

"Given the grimness of the situation as outlined by Zauriel, we need a plan." Superman made his way to the hushed hall's front and took the angel's place at the podium. "Hal, I understand the Green Lanterns are massing just outside Earth's atmosphere?"

Hal nodded. "The Guardians were aware something bad was going to happen, there was a vague prophecy in the Book Of Oa that something was going to happen here around this time. Now I've sent the details to the Guardians, they'll direct the Lanterns to deploy here immediately."

"Excellent," Superman nodded. "From what Zauriel says, arresting these beings isn't an option, just bear that in mind people." He gritted his teeth. If even a tenth of what the angel said, these Fallen wouldn't stop, wouldn't be contained, so there was no other way. "In addition to those of us here, I've also contacted the Legion Of Super-Heroes, so they'll be sending assistance when requested." Superman took a second to collect his thoughts then continued. "We'll take a two-pronged approach to this problem. In addition to the Green Lanterns, he nodded to Hal, Guy, and the Crops' other representatives, "some of us capable of flying outside the atmosphere will accompany the Corps on their patrol. We'll draw up a rota." He paused momentarily before continuing. "For the rest of you, I suggest you ready yourselves. Should any of the angels get through us to Earth, it'll be your responsibility to protect the people. Anyone who can fly but can't survive outside the atmosphere should act as cavalry, moving from crisis to crisis, anyone else should stay in their city and protect it as best as possible."

"If I may suggest a third prong?" Superman nodded at Batman's growl. He'd learn to treasure his friend's counsel, even if it led him down uncomfortable paths. "We need to find out who Lucifer is before his reinforcements get here. It would be a massive boost if we could take the Fallen's leader and most powerful warrior off the board before the battle begins."

"How do you propose to do that?" Hawkman demanded.

Batman kept his eyes on him rather than looking towards their fellow JLAer. "Use Checkmate to scan for alien radiation that might indicate a possession of some sort and have Oracle data mine for a prominent businessman\criminal\ politician whose been acting unusually or moving in unusual circles."

"Why prominent?" Superman queried, guessing that his friend's thinking matched his own, but wanting to hear his reasoning.

"Everything that's happened, the attacks, the mass prison breaks, that takes resources and money, the sort only the head of a considerable-sized organisation with deep pockets can achieve," Batman explained.

"I agree," Superman nodded. "Now if anyone has any questions for Zauriel?"

"One," Captain Marvel spoke up. "If we manage to slay Lucifier, do we slay evil?"

Zauriel smiled sadly and shook his head. "One of Lucifer's first acts after being cast down was to open Pandora's Box, ending effectively paradise. Evil exists in every being's heart and soul if not in their actions."

* * *

"Oracle," Batman growled into his intercom as he stalked through the Hall of Justice, disappearing into a quiet corridor to get away from the hushed, barely-contained fear filling the vast chamber. "I need a teleport."

"And hello to you, Batman," Commissioner Gordon's daughter jibed. "How did the meeting go?"

"I'm uploading the video to your network, there's a priority request from me attached to it," he replied. "Try and get copies out to anyone else who wasn't able to attend. Now that teleport?"

"Where to?" Barbara let out a gasp when he replied. "But why?"

Batman explained in a few sentences. "Now, about that teleport?"

"I'll get on it," Batman heard the tip tap of typing, "transferring command from Watchtower in 3, 2,1."

All at once he was consumed by red light, his skin prickling unpleasantly as his molecules were shifted, dematerialised, and rematerialised in a dark London alley, graffiti adorning worn walls and rubbish rustling across the passageway's cobbles. Batman threw a line up and started across the busy city's rooftops, people passing obliviously by beneath him, his journey through the unfamiliar rooftops taking longer than it would through the city of his birth, the city he knew with a lover's familiarity.

It was mid evening by the time he arrived at his destination, a shadow-shrouded walled-mansion on the outskirts of the great city. He crouched on the roof of a church just across the road and watched, a smile tugging slightly at his lips as he noted the slightly-built silhouettes lurking in the grand old house's shadows. Doubtless the ancestral manor's occupant was guarded by Slayers, highly-effective warriors, but if his daughter was anyone to judge by, they relied a little too much on their supernatural abilities and not enough on honing their skills.

Batman launched himself into the dark sky, cape billowing in the wind as he silently plummeted to the ground just inside the walls.

* * *

Giles blinked drowsily as something wakened him. Groaning slightly, he glanced towards the half-opened window, the draught chilling the room. Strange, he could have sworn he -.

His eyes shot fully open as he registered the powerfully-built figure. His mouth opened in a cry for help, even as he rolled off his bed, but the interloper was by his side before he could utter a syllable, gloved hand over his mouth, muffling his cry. "Relax, Mr. Giles, I am here as a friend."

Giles' eyes bulged as he belatedly recognised the intruder as the notorious Batman. "H…how? W…why?"

The Caped Crusader sank back into the shadows. "I understand you are in communication with Xander Harris and Faith Le-, Faith Wayne, about researching 'The Heavenly Schism'?"

"Ah yes," Giles slowly gathered his thoughts. "I'm afraid our scholarly efforts haven't been as successful as we might hope-."

"Events have overtaken us," Batman interrupted before explaining in a few sentences.

"Good lord," Giles let out a choked gasp as he struggled to take in the Dark Knight's words. "Then 'The Heavenly Schism' wasn't just hyperbole!"

The Batman chuckled. "That really depends on what side of the theological debate you come down on." The crime-fighter shrugged his powerful shoulders. "However that's unimportant. What I need is your assistance."

"I'll endeavour to help you in any way I can," Giles eagerly replied.

"We're pulling in every meta, every force we have to deal with this," the Batman began. "And you're on the list…"

* * *

Xander scratched at his patch as he peered at the paperwork before him. It was weird how his mutilated eye always seemed to itch more when he doing paperwork. He didn't know if it was the effort of reading or simply psychosomatic, but it always itched. He blinked when the phone began ringing, gratefully snatching the phone up. "Hello, Xander Harris speaking?"

"Hello Xander," Xander raised an eyebrow as he recognised the cultured tones, "I've just had a rather momentous visit from Gotham City's most notorious citizen."

"I hope meeting the Bat didn't make you make a mess of your tiny whities?" Xander jibed even as he attempted to rifle through the possible reasons for Batman to visit Giles.

"Yes," Giles huffed, "now isn't the time of jocularity."

"There's always time for winding up tea-drinking librarians," Xander retorted.

Giles let out a long-suffering sigh. "I blame myself," the Englishman muttered, "I had to make the phone call in person."

"Yeah," Xander nodded. "Be a man, shoulder the responsibility."

Giles sighed. "As I was saying Batman was in touch, he has requested the Council's assistance in dealing with this 'Heavenly Schism'."

"Oh?" Irritation warred with curiosity. "And what did everyone's favourite Bat about town have to say to you?" Xander listened in silence as the older Watcher explained and told him what he wanted done. "And this is global?"

"The Batman says so. I'm getting in touch with each office, giving them the same instructions, work in sixes instead of threes, and take as much artillery as you can carry, leave crowd control to the police, your job is to liaise with any metas there are in your area in the hunting down of any Fallen that land in the city."

"Okay," Xander nodded, "I'll pull all the Slayers from active duty, keep them training until this happens."

"Yes," Giles agreed, "a wise decision. Bye son."

"Bye." The moment he'd ended the call with Giles, Xander dialled theWaynemansion.

"Wayne Residence, Alfred speaking."

"Hey, Alfred, it's Xander, could I speak to Mr. Wayne?"

"Of course, Master Harris."

A few seconds later and Wayne came on the line. "I've been expecting your call."

"Yeah," Xander forced away his instinctive trepidation when dealing with the costumed crime-fighter who'd long been a hero of his. "I was kinda surprised to hear my boss has had a visit from Batman. You'd think if the Batman had something to say, he'd get me to pass the message on."

"The Batman probably thought if he visited your boss in person, it might emphasise this matter's importance."

"Yeah," Xander nodded in understanding, "the suit does that alright."

* * *

"Hello everyone, sorry for keeping you waiting." General Zod watched with barely concealed disdain as Luthor walked into their meeting room. To be at this human's beck and call was humiliation for a Kryptonian of his standing, but if it got him what he wanted…. Zod smiled inwardly, there'd be time for treachery afterwards.

Of course, Zod glanced at his two other companions, Black Adam and Vandal Savage, would doubtless be thinking the same, but neither of them were a General in the Kryptonian military. "I notice Circe isn't here again," Zod commented.

Luthor smirked. "Oh, I decided she was an unnecessary part of her plans."

"And what are our plans, Luthor?" Black Adam demanded, the mystically-empowered human's arms crossed. "We've had the sneak attacks, the prison breakouts, but to what end?"

"Oh," Luthor smiled. Zod narrowed his eyes as he saw something that human eyes possibly couldn't see in the billionaire's aura. "To a most glorious end." His jaw dropped when scaled, dragonesque wings erupted from the bald man's back. The man's skin darkened and rippled, tightening on his face until his features took on an avian appearance. Red flames seem to flicker in the creature's orbs as its fingers lengthened into talons. The beast's custom-made suit tore as its body swelled until it stood close to eight feet tall, its shoulders widening, limbs thickening, and chest deepening, its girth and overall bulk doubling.

All this took perhaps a minute, but so shocking was the transformation, that none of them moved until the monster did, grabbing Vandal under his chin and yanking the supposed Immortal's head off his shoulders, blood spurting everywhere.

This broke the hypnotic spell possessing both Zod and Black Adam. The two of them leapt up as once, charging the now cackling monster. A single backhand, far more powerful than any blow he'd ever endured, flung him through the office window, across a busy road, through another office block, and to a shuddering halt half-way through a train. Zod groaned as he climbed out of the dented train in time to hear Black Adam suffer much the same fate as him and see the mysteriously metamorphosed 'human' fly out of the building's roof, debris falling on the Metropolis streets.

Zod snarled as he looked up into the sky. Somehow he guessed that a being with that creature's immense physical powers wasn't fleeing out of fear, rather it was retreating to regroup with others of its ilk, and launch a devastating attack.

"You've made an enemy of Zod," he growled as he angrily back-handed the parked goods train across the tracks. "A grave mistake that you will regret the rest of your very brief existence."

* * *

"All this waiting crap is for the birds I tell you. I didn't put this ring on to play some damn sentry. Hell, I want some action."

John Stewart let Guy's complaining wash over him, a tactic that he'd found useful when dealing with his bombastic compatriot. His eyes widened when the readout on his ring indicated a swirling vortex several miles across and high, dark energy crackling across its surface as it formed a mile or so in the distance. And then crescent-winged midnight-coloured creatures with hawkish features began spilling out, thousands upon thousands of them. "Okay, poozers!" Kilowog's booming baritone filled his ears, "form up into your protective cordons and create energy shields. No-one wavers, just let these poozers pound themselves out on our force fields while the Earthers send up their heavy hitters!"

And then a force crashed into their rear like a wrecking ball taking down skittles.


	24. Chapter 24

**FIC: Faith ****Wayne**** (24/?)**

J'onn J'onzz looked up when alarms blared out throughout the Watchtower, his mouth dropping open at the sight of hordes upon hordes of creatures sweeping towards the massed GL lines. His hand thudded down on the alarm button, information flowing from their control satellite and to the various teams and individuals awaiting his call throughout the world. Then he turned on the automatic defence systems, rushed to the loading bay and flung himself out into the vastness of space.

* * *

Gotham City

"I'm surprised you sent for me."

Batman didn't bother to glance towards Azrael, choosing instead to peer down at the shadowy streets, car lights illuminating the stygian darkness even as their engines' roar drifted up to him. "You're a better soldier than you are crime-fighter, Jean-Paul, and we're in a war tonight." Besides with Nightwing leading the Atomic Knights in Bludhaven, he needed all the help he could get. "Robin's in the south with Huntress and Batwoman, Oracle will be co-ordinating our efforts. We have allies out there tonight."

"Couldn't trust me with the boy and the girls?"

Batman ignored the bitter tone in Azarel's voice. "You're good at what you do, we'll need you eventually."

"And need me against what?" Disbelief replaced bitterness in his former protégé's voice. "Fallen angels?"

Batman raised an eyebrow. "I'm surprised at your incredulity given your name." Some instinct forced his eyes up to the cloudy sky above. "They're here," he clenched his gloved fists, "I can sense them." Batman grimaced as his utility belt let out a warning beep. "I knew it."

* * *

Metropolis

Gangbuster looked towards Agent Liberty and Rick, his heart tight in his chest. As heroes patrolling Metropolis, they were forever in the shadow of Superman, but despite that they took their duties seriously, and tonight they'd be called upon to protect their city in ways they'd never dreamed.

* * *

Teen Titans HQ, San Francisco

Cyborg strode into the Teen Titans' conference room, his friends crowded into the room, the tension in the air so thick it was difficult to breathe. "The alarm just came in," he stilled the exited murmurs with a raised hand. "We already know how we're planning to respond, I'm leading Red Devil, Static, and Hawkgirl in protecting SF itself, Wonder Girl, you're taking Miss Martin, Super Girl, and Super Boy up to help in the orbital defence." Cyborg cast a quick look around, committing his friends' faces to memory. "You have your jobs people, do them, then come back alive. That's an order."

* * *

JSA HQ, NY

Alan Scott stared at the communicator in his hand, stomach twisting at the portentous message he'd just received. Gathering himself, he rose and hurried through the corridors into the waiting lounge, everyone stiffening at his entrance. "The message just came in. Hawkman, I want you to lead Cyclone, Damage, Atom-Smasher, Doc Mid-nite, Mr. Terrific, and Wildcat in a ground defence. Power Girl, Jade, we'll fly up and join the orbital defence."

* * *

Freedom Fighters HQ, WashingtonDC.

Uncle Sam looked around his team-mates in the Freedom Fighters, pride swelling inside his chest. "Once again," he intoned. "It falls to us to protect our nation's capital from enemies without. Stay alert and stay together."

* * *

Faith's heart thundered as she started down the steps leading out of the house. Even with the bigger stakes her nerves weren't for herself but for Xan and the others. Guess that was courtesy of a mom who'd reached her to believe she didn't matter.

Whatever the reason, fuck she was so scared for Xan, her throat was narrower than a straw and her heart all twisted and beating like it was bein' pounded on by a drummer with ADD. "Be careful."

Faith forced a smirk as she turned to Harris, one hand resting casually on her hip. "Careful? Practically my middle name, yo."

"Oh yeah?" Xander's remaining eye gleamed with amusement. "I could think of a few more suitable ones?"

"You ever wanna get me between the sheets again, you better not use any of 'em," Faith warned before standing up on her tiptoes, cupping Xan's face and, ignoring the brats' catcalls, kissing him on the cheek before whispering in his ear, "stay safe, hon." Faith shot the watching Slayers a blistering glare. "Come on, brats. We got a city to protect."

* * *

"John Henry Irons," Irons stiffened at the metallic voice, then relaxed as he belatedly recognised its owner as his friend and turned to face the blue-caped android. "Are you readying yourself to fly to Earth's defence?"

"Yes," he replied with a nod as he picked up his hammer. "I'm just about ready."

"Excellent," Red Tornado nodded. "Then it would an honour if I and Firestorm," the android indicated Irons' fellow African-American meta stood behind him, "could accompany you?"

Irons flashed the android a gleaming smile. "It's me who'd be honoured my friend."

* * *

Superman's cape swelled around him as he flew up to the ensuing battle, the on-going carnage causing his blood to chill. Gathering himself, he initiated his Legion communications device, made the call then slowed as the demon that could only be Lucifer turning towards him, shock reverberating through him at the palpable wave of hatred searing from the demon to him.

Superman snarled and balled his fists together, jaw clenching. No-one was going to destroy his adopted planet. Not while there was a breath left in his body.

* * *

Star City

Sirens blared through the air, thick, black smoke pluming up from around the city between skyscrapers. Ollie Green bared his teeth as he heard Black Canary's shrill screech heading towards him, pushing one of the Fallen towards them. "Ready, Arsenal?"

"Ready," his protégé growled through the earpiece.

"There's enough space between us and the Fallen, I want you to use the Explosives arrows, one in the head, one in the torso," Green ordered. "I'll do the same."

"Roger."

Ollie sighted, drew, and released the arrow in one smooth motion. He didn't bother to follow the arrow's progress, choosing instead to reach into his quiver, draw and aim his next arrow, and send it on its way. Green Arrow watched the second arrow vibrate its way to its target, saw it thud home high in the demon's left shoulder. The moment Roy's arrow did the same, Ollie pressed his detonator.

Four explosions split the sky, the monster shredding, fragments of flesh, bone, and blood flying in every direction, and would have soaked Black Canary but for his love quickly screaming up a sonic screen that knocked said remains to the ground. "Well done everyone," Green Arrow rasped. "Let's move on to the next."

* * *

Bludhaven

Nightwing flew through the air, catching the Fallen square in the face, his drop-kick's impact echoing up his lower limbs. Landing in a crouch beneath its flashing talons, he reached out, grabbed it by its calves and pulled.

The demon crashed to the ground, hitting a pile of rubble behind it. Then another launched itself out of the darkness to his right, only to disintegrate in a blast of yellow energy.

Nightwing glanced over his shoulder when he saw another blast of energy take the Fallen he'd been battling. Rising, he turned towards the half a dozen Atomic Knights stood there, their armour scratched, scorched, and dented, but the Knights themselves still standing. "This sector has been cleansed, Sector 12 is reporting heavy Fallen activity."

Nightwing nodded. "Sector 12 it is."

* * *

Rain poured down on the grim city as sirens blared and women screamed in the distance, Faith shooting glances all around, the hairs on the back of her neck prickling pre-cognitively as the night's horror swelled like an approaching storm. "Shit!" Faith stumbled backwards, dropping into a crouch when a seven-foot tall, powerfully built, scaled figure crashed to the ground opposite her, flamed eyes peering out of its avian face, the air echoing to the flapping of its triangle-shaped leathery wings.

"Such emotions in you!" Faith recoiled instinctively before the creeping nightmare, its three-pronged claws digging into the tarmac as it started towards her, Faith's throat drying and tightening as the creature approached. "Fear, rage, temper, wantonness. I grow -. SSSSS!" The angel flinched backwards when Faith's Slayers stepped out of the shadows to flank her, their faces taut and white, but their gazes steady. "LOYALTY! COURAGE! HONOUR!"

"Explosives." Faith started at her father's grim tone suddenly behind her. The wall to the beast's left imploded, burying the angel beneath it. The Slayers parted before the masked crime-fighter. "Thank you for your assistance, ladies." Batman crouched down and scooped up a brick. "I'll deal with this from here."

* * *

A cold rage built up within Batman as he stared at the pile of shattered bricks beneath which his daughter's attacker laid. Only his iron control held him back from racing over there and flinging the bricks off the Fallen and attacking it himself-.

Wayne's eyes narrowed as the first brick fell off the top of the pile. Launching himself forward he raced up the pile, his hand swinging down to first scoop up and then crash the brick into the creature's skull. Bone shattered, the creature's head snapping around as his blow impacted. The angel peered up, mouth opening.

The creature's head snapped to the side when Batman drove the brick into its jaw, bone shattering inwards. Blood gushed out to soak his glove as he leaned back and swung the brick down again, the creature's cheek collapsing under the ferocity of his attack.

And he swung again and again, until the creature's head hung limp and all fire had left its eyes.

"Don't ever threaten my daughter again." Batman snarled as he dropped the bloodied brick and retreated down the pile, eyes glancing left and right as he searched for more demons to hunt.

* * *

Pain ran like fire through Gwet-Dar's frame as he fell to earth, every muscle screaming in protest as a thousand dreadful images rampaged through his head. Of the winged fouls, of the monsters tearing through his allies and friends, and of them rending, tearing great wounds in him.

"Haaaa!" Gwet-Dar screamed as he hit the ground, more bones shattering as he failed to activate in time to completely cushion his landing. Blood bubbled out of his mouth, every limb aching and head thundering.

"Life force to extinguish in two minutes." Gwet-Dar forced back a moan at the ring's cold statement. He had to find someone to-. "Potential bearer approaching." Gwet-Dar pulled his head up and forced his three eyes to focus on the humans hurrying towards him.

"Oh man!" A voice gasped. "An alien!"

"A dying alien," a man's deep voice commented. "Give him some room, girls." The women sped back as the man crouched beside. "Sir, is there anything I can do for you? Some water."

Gwet-Dar's vision blurred then sharpened to reveal the one-eyed man cradling him in his arms. "One thing. The ring," yellow blood dripped from Gwet-Dar's mouth, "the ring says you have sufficient willpower to wield it."

* * *

Xander stared open-mouthed at the alien. Him, a Green Lantern? A space cop? The very idea was ridiculous.

"Hey Xan," Xander blinked as Faith appeared from the opposite end of the street, her girls crouched behind her. "We saw the guy fall outta the sky. If his ring thinks you can do the job, take it."

"But the girls-."

"We'll join up patrols," Faith interrupted. "The real fight's up there and if you can help, I know you, you," Faith's dark eyes shone with pride, "you gotta do."

The alien let out a bone-rattling groan, its eyes dulling. "Take the ring."

"Um," Xander gently eased the ring off the being's finger and slipped it on his own. Instantly he was cloaked in an emerald light, his clothes replaced by a Green Lantern costume. "In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil's might, beware my power, Green Lantern's light!"


	25. Chapter 25

**FIC: Faith ****Wayne**** (25/?)**

The White House, Washington

Uncle Sam smiled as he watched the Fallen obliviously land on the White House lawn as he and his team hid in the building's lobby. Thanks to a succession of corrupt, self-interested politicians, American idealism was lower than it might have been impacting adversely on his powers, but despite that he was sure he was never going to allow a godless monster desecrate a monument to his nation's greatness.

Rising, he looked towards Firebrand, Black Condor, Ray, and Human Bomb. "Let's show them invading the US. was a big mistake."

* * *

Kilowog spun to face the attacker from the rear, directing his gaze towards the four Earth Lanterns. "Listen up poozers!" He roared as he directed emerald energy at the rampaging winged demon. "Give that monster everything you've got!"

Energy burst from the Earthers' rings, hitting the monster from every direction, but Kilowog was dismayed to see the demon effortlessly ignore their attack to tear through the nearest of the Green Lanterns. And then the monster was fighting his way through their attacks to knock them flying and further into their wildly struggling ranks.

* * *

Hall Of Heroes, 30th Century

Brainiac rushed into the Hall, Garth rising at his fellow Legionnaire's unusually ruffled expression. "What's wrong?"

"Seconds ago we received a signal from Kal-El," Brainiac reported. "The Dark Times have arrived, our assistance is required."

Garth stiffened and swallowed before nodding brusquely. "Inform the others, tell them I'll meet them on the teleportation pads."

* * *

Xander shook his head as he headed out of the planet's orbit, the stars blurring around him, eyes fixed on the carnage before him. Suddenly he'd leapt up from the Minors to the World Series in a single bound. "This is a very, very bad idea."

* * *

San Francisco

Cyborg shivered inwardly as an unnatural and untimely night shrouded the west coast city, vast shadows spreading over the entire area, swirling, impregnable darkness that only added to the fear cloaking the hushed municipality.

Even as he realised the darkness' secondary purpose, Cyborg forced the trepidation away, and glanced at his companions massing behind him. "Okay, they'll be here in a moment but be -."

"No," Static interrupted with a shake of his head and a look and point up, "they're already here."

Cyborg's stomach twisted as he looked up to see a winged horde descending on them. "Don't fall back, remember we're here to defend people!"

* * *

Firestorm glanced left and right, despair filling him. To his right Red Tornado sent Fallen flying and to his left Steel tirelessly swung his hammer, crashing it into the skull of any Fallen foolish to get within range of his swinging hammer. They at least held their line, but all around the rest of their lines were being swamped over by the Fallen, Green Lanterns falling in their dozens.

* * *

New York

Hawkman landed by the over-turned car, the panicked screams of the woman inside and the stench of oil leaking from its engine filling his ears and nostrils respectively. "I'll have you out in a minute," he growled in as comforting tone as he could manage. Reaching out, he grabbed the driver's door and pulled, the thick sinews in his arms writhing mightily as he wrenched the door open, ripping it away from the car. "See," he rumbled as he reached in, snapped the woman's seat belt in two, and wrapped an arm around the woman's shoulders before easing her out, "you're-."

THUD!

Hawkman's gaze snapped up to see a Fallen land on the car's exposed under-carriage, its talons clinging tightly to the car as it peered down malignantly at him and his rescuee. And then two huge hands grabbed at the creature's ankles and head, and pulled it apart, blood spewing everywhere.

Hawkman's gaze turned to his companion. "Thanks for the save, Atom-Smasher."

Atom-Smasher smirked down at him from a height of twenty feet. "Glad to help, Hawkman, how about we get your companion to the nearest hospital?"

Hawkman scooped the shocked into unconsciousness woman into his arms. "I'll fly her to St. Mary's. Meet you and the others at the police station on 6th and 8th."

* * *

J'onn J'onzz snarled as he grabbed the nearest of the Fallen around the throat and flung him into the Watchtower's smouldering ruin, smoke whafting off the wrecked satellite, orange flames flickering around it. Another two swooped in, but he blasted them away with a concussive eye blast, their broken, torn bodies swirling off into space.

And then Lucifer himself crashed into him, fists thundering into him with incredible force. Blood flew from his mouth as his ribs shattered under blows capable of downing planes, his own attacks seemingly ignored by the pulverising monster. J'onn gasped as the creature grabbed him by his throat and flung him into the moon. J'onn grunted as he crashed into the moon's surface, dust flying everywhere as the force of Lucifer's fling propelled him deep into the moon.

* * *

Central City

Barry Allen blurred around a passageway, his arms zooming out to land a dozen blows on each of the trio of Fallen busy tearing strips off a family estate. Each of the Fallen spun to face him, but was unable to catch him with claw or talon, his super-fast reflexes allowing him to bob and weave under the attacks while hitting the creatures again and again, flickering between them with effortless ease.

* * *

Garth gasped as he came out of the portal to see the Green Lantern Corps besieged by the hordes of the Fallen. "Everyone!" he snapped through his communicator ring to his companions spilling out behind him. "Spread out, plug any holes you can!"

Garth swallowed as he dived into the raging battle. They should have brought more bodies.

* * *

"Son of a bitch!" Harvey Bullock spat out his cigar as he sent his car weaving through GothamCity's cluttered streets, tires screeching and blue sparks igniting under the car as he jammed down on the accelerator and dragged his car towards a pair of Fallen ripping through a barely twitching corpse.

The police vehicle bounced as its front tires hit and mounted the sidewalk, the Fallen having barely begun to turn towards him when his car's steel-girded grille slammed into the duo. The force of the collision lifted the two Fallen off their feet and sent them crashing into the wall, the vehicle slamming into them a second later.

His own bones still rattling from the collision, Bullock kicked his door open, stepped out of the sidewalk, turned towards the struggling Fallen, their caws echoing in his ears, and put a pair of armour-piercing, and very illegal shells into each of the monsters' heads, smirking slightly as their heads exploded, skull bone and blood decorating the wall behind them. "They weren't so tough."

"Yeah?" Bullock spun around, eyes snapping up to see the faceless brunette clad in a fedora and trenchcoat land on his car's roof, automatics clasped in each hand. "So you figure you can handle those?"

Bullock's mouth dried as he followed the Question's gaze to see a horde of Fallen swooping towards them, the air filling with the sound of their flapping bat-like wings. "Hell," Bullock licked his lips as he strode to the car's trunk, flipped it open, dragged on a Kevlar vest, and pulled out the two pump-action shotguns he had there, "I'll give it a damn good try."

* * *

Watertown, Boston

Electricity lanced out of the shadows, incinerating several of the Fallen in one fell swoop, then Black Lightning let out a ragged gasp. "Take them!"

Metamorpho, Katana, and Grace Choi burst out of the shadows at the opposite side of the street, laying into the rest of the Fallen, their carefully executed ambush rapidly turning into a vicious battle for life. Black Lightning slumped back against the damp wall behind him, rainwater trickling down the cracks in the brick. His eyes remained fixed on the battle as he regained his energy, waiting for an opportunity to aid any of his companions or destroy any more of the monsters.

A Fallen raced away from the thrashing melee only for Black Lightning to turn it to ash with a single blast. The rest of the Outsiders, the heavy hitters, were in space, aiding with the defence of the planet as a whole, but it was his experience that the little people, the working class, the elderly, and the disabled got forgotten at the best, never mind, the worst of times. But he'd grown up in the slums, and would never forget the people that hadn't his skills, luck, or opportunities.

Someone had to stand up for the underclass while the people in the mansions and penthouses hid behind their high-priced security details.

* * *

Superman's breath gusted from him as he flew up into the atmosphere and joined the pitched battle around his adopted planet, JLA, JSA, Teen Titans, joining the Green Lantern Corps and others in desperately defending the earth from the cawing horde of Fallen.

Suddenly a Fallen, larger and more monsturous than all the others was in front of him. "Superman!" Its hissed voice grated upon Kal-El's ears, its tone filled with hatred as it dived into the attack, long, wide wings flapping, and claws lashing viciously at him.

Kal-El twisted inside the first slash then ducked under a follow-up back-hand slash, his own fist snapping out to crash into the creature's leathery belly. The creature grunted but drove its own knee up into his side, ribs creaking under the assault. And then the creature had hold of him by his forearms.

Kal-El gasped as the creature flung him through space, the force of its throw ensuring millions of miles passed in a second. Kal-El grunted as he crashed into Mars' surface, red dust billowing all around the mile-deep crater he'd been dumped in. A snarl escaped his lips as Lucifer appeared in the sky above him.

In a nano-second he was up and leaping at his adversary, heat vision burning a vanguard before him. The demon ducked between his infra-red assault, wriggled around his attack, and drove a fist hard into his forehead.

Pain exploded with a blinding fury, but Kal-El gritted his teeth, and responded with a blurring flurry of blows to his rival's torso, forcing him back a few feet. "Power," the creature growled, amused fires flickering in its malignant orbs, "but not enough."

A back-handed slap caught Kal-El in the jaw, snapping his head back. And then the demon's leathery hands were around his throat. Kal-El ignored the monster's vice-like grip, pulled his knees up into his chest, and drove his heels up into the Fallen's thick upper torso. The creature's eyes widened in shock as his feet made contact, the blow's impact flinging the monster hundreds of miles away.

Kal-El had barely begun to straighten himself with the monster crashed into him with all the force of a battering ram. Kal-El grunted as he crashed back down onto the planet surface, then rolled away from an attempted double-foot stomp to the face. A foot crashed into his ribs as he made his knees, lifting from the ground, and flinging him over a dozen miles and into a several mile deep ravine.

Kal-El reversed his descent less than a mile from the bottom, flying out of the red planet's ravine and back into the battle. The creature's blows thudded into him, but he ignored them to deliver blow after blow of his own, teeth gritted with the effort. And then the beast drove its forehead into his face, shattering bone. His vision blurred with pained tears, the beast tore at him with fist, teeth, and claw, ripping at him until he crashed down onto the planet's red sands. "And now it ends, Earth's greatest hero dies here."

Kal-El shook his head clear in time to see a blurred emerald figure land beside him and between him and Lucifer. "Earth's greatest hero? Have you never heard of Kermit the Frog?"


End file.
